Wheelchair user, 24, 'crawled three carriages' after GWR train stopped beyond platform

A young wheelchair user has described how she was forced to crawl on her hands and knees through a train after being told a ramp could not be used to help her disembark, in an incident that has reignited concerns about the reliability of assisted rail travel in the UK.

Phoebe Tesoriere, 24, who was living in Caerphilly at the time, was travelling on a Great Western Railway (GWR) service from London Paddington to Bath Spa when the ordeal unfolded. She had been returning from a concert in the capital with her parents, a trip she had arranged as a Christmas gift before her diagnosis.

According to her account, her family had spoken to the assistance desk before boarding and were directed to the only designated wheelchair space on the train. Phoebe said she was given assurances that a ramp and staff assistance would be waiting for her when she arrived at Bath Spa. Instead, she was informed that the carriage she had been placed in would stop beyond the end of the platform, making it impossible to deploy a ramp.

The journey had begun with the best of intentions. Phoebe, a former Cardiff University student, bought tickets for the London concert as a present for her mother and father. But what should have been a celebratory trip ended in distress when the train pulled into Bath Spa and she was unable to get off.

She said staff members had checked repeatedly during the journey which station she would be leaving the train at, yet at no point was she warned that her carriage would not be aligned with the platform. That omission left her stranded and dependent on a solution that staff were unable to provide.

Phoebe has hereditary spastic paraplegia, a condition that causes weakness and stiffness in the leg muscles. The NHS describes the disorder as a group of inherited conditions that affect the nerves in the spinal cord, leading to progressive stiffness and weakness in the legs. Phoebe's condition is expected to worsen over time, making independent mobility increasingly difficult.

When the train arrived at Bath Spa, she said staff told the family they should remain on board and travel on to Bristol Temple Meads, a further 15 to 20 minutes away, before purchasing new tickets back to Bath Spa where a ramp could be used. The family explained this was not possible because Phoebe's grandparents were waiting at Bath Spa station to collect them and drive her back to Caerphilly.

With no viable alternative, Phoebe said she was instructed to try to manoeuvre her wheelchair through the train's aisle. When it became clear the chair would not fit, she crawled through three carriages.

"I was crying. People were staring," she said. "One passenger reached down to stroke my back and apologised to me, telling me what was happening wasn't acceptable. She was trying to comfort me, but in that moment I felt like a dog."

Her mother, Kirstin Tesoriere, described watching the episode as traumatic and said it left her feeling helpless. "When I close my eyes I can still see it, the pity on other passengers' faces," she said. "It was humiliating for her."

Phoebe said her parents eventually lifted her back into her wheelchair so she could leave the train using the ramp, but no staff were waiting to assist her. The physical and emotional toll of the incident has stayed with the family, who say they have not used public transport since.

GWR issued an apology and acknowledged its failures. The company said it was "really sorry" and admitted "we let her down, both when we helped her board and at several points during her journey." In its formal response, the operator described Phoebe's experience as "extremely poor" and accepted accountability for what went wrong. It also confirmed she would receive compensation.

However, Phoebe says that promise has not been honoured. Despite sending her bank details as requested, she said she has still not received any money and that GWR has "ignored every email I have sent" since June.

She lodged a formal complaint with the train company on the day of the incident in December 2025, but the investigation was not completed until May. "Nearly nine months after I complained, I am still fighting to get an answer," she said. "No disabled passenger should ever have to crawl."

Kirstin said she understood mistakes were made but believes her daughter has been treated inexcusably in the months since. "I can't forgive them for how they've made an awful traumatic experience last for months," she added.

The case highlights a broader problem with accessibility on Britain's rail network, where disabled passengers frequently depend on pre-booked assistance that can break down when operational plans change. Under industry rules, train operators are required to provide reasonable assistance to passengers with reduced mobility, including ramps, and to ensure that wheelchair spaces are aligned with platforms wherever possible.

For Phoebe, the consequences extend beyond a single journey. She said the episode has undermined her confidence and made her fearful of travelling. Her mother said the family simply wanted to "make lovely memories" together, but that the diagnosis has already taken so much from her daughter. "She's just scared now and she's already lost so much to her diagnosis," Kirstin said. "You just want your children to be happy."

Phoebe is now calling for significant improvements to accessible transport across the UK. "It's ridiculous that disabled passengers are still expected to go through this," she said. Her experience adds to mounting pressure on rail operators to ensure that assistance promises made at the point of booking are actually delivered on the day, and that complaints are resolved within a reasonable timeframe.