Rail accessibility

A new mission for SNCF Réseau

Meeting the mobility needs of all passengers is the new mission assigned to SNCF Réseau by law. The Accessibility Department has a collective ambition for the whole SNCF Group and for all the transport companies in the French rail system: "All mobile, all mobilised."  

Expertise for the network operator

Since 1 January 2020, the SNCF Group's Accessibility Department has been attached to SNCF Réseau's Customers and Regions Division. Its role is to develop rail mobility for people with disabilities and reduced mobility on the entire national rail network, regardless of the carrier. The 2018 new rail pact entrusts SNCF Réseau with this public service mission. Making rail transport more accessible is essential, and will help to double the modal share of rail by 2030.  

Accessibility concerns us all

Our initiatives target people with disabilities and those with reduced mobility (80% of disabilities are not visible). Inspired by their day-to-day challenges, progress in this area benefits everyone: the elderly, families with pushchairs, people on crutches and passengers who don't speak French, etc.  
97%

disabilities

are not visible

20

years

of the accessibility movement

547

stations

made accessible (total by the end of 2024)

1

million

assistance services by 2024

€320 million

per year

dedicated to work to make stations more accessible

A guide for everyone involved in the rail system

The Accessibility Department is making available to everyone involved in the rail system, on request, an accessibility guide covering the entire travel chain: trains, stations, terminals, services, fares, assistance, staff training, digital accessibility, etc. This guide lists the main regulatory texts and shares numerous recommendations for use resulting from almost 15 years of consultation with associations. Accessibility on the move!  

Ask for the guide

Station facilities

Overview of station facilities to facilitate information, identification and travel for passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility.

  • Get informed

    Magnetic induction loop, dynamic information screen, ticket counters, civility signs, PRM reception points, Achemine police...

  • Find your way around

    Sound beacons, alertness strips, tactile guidance strips, sound arrows, station signage, window stickers, etc.

  • Move

    Elevators, stairs, escalators, handrails, inclined planes, lifting platforms, automatic doors.

Accessibility stakeholders

Our department dedicated to the accessibility of the rail system  

Station facilities, training of agents, digital accessibility... The Accessibility Department drives and coordinates initiatives to make rail travel easier for everyone.    

 

A co-construction approach  

We support the development of equipment, services and facilities adapted to different types of disability, alongside nine representative associations. Together, we can build more inclusive mobility.  

 

Innovation in the service of transport for everyone  

We have an ecosystem of start-ups working alongside us, developing innovative tools and services to make mobility easier for all rail network customers.    

 

Partnerships and trade fairs dedicated to accessibility

We participate in various events to promote the "culture of accessibility and our know-how", to highlight progress and to exchange with new partners who are getting on board with rail accessibility.

Major events, accelerators of rail accessibility

From the 2023 Rugby World Cup, with the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup, to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, events serve as springboards to accelerate work on station accessibility and promote mobility solutions for the benefit of all customers.

An overview of accessibility in 2023

Our latest annual report looks at the progress made by all those involved in the rail system in developing accessibility to stations and trains.

Accessibility is also digital

We are working on all fronts to promote accessibility.

To guarantee access to information for all Internet users, the SNCF group is committed to providing accessible and responsible digital resources and services to its customers and employees. Its initiatives are described in the annual multi-year plan co-signed with SNCF Réseau. As such, this website has been designed in accordance with the digital accessibility rules.  

Digital accessibility declaration