Launched on 3 December 2019, on the international day of persons with disabilities, sunflower branded lanyards and ticket holders are available at Manchester Piccadilly, London Euston, Liverpool Lime Street and Birmingham New Street stations.
The lanyard and ticket holders, which are entirely voluntary for anyone who would benefit from them, act as a subtle sign for staff that additional support or help may be required.
Employees at all four stations have been specially trained to understand what the sunflower stands for and how they can offer the right help to those passengers who need it. Karen Hornby, Head of Performance and Customer Relationship for Network Rail, said: “Travelling by rail for passengers with additional needs can be a daunting experience and we’re always looking at ways our staff can make it easier for people. The sunflower symbol is the perfect way for passengers to discreetly identify themselves to our staff so we can do everything we can to make their journeys as smooth as possible.”
First trialled at Gatwick Airport in 2016, the sunflower lanyards have since been successfully adopted at other major airports, in some supermarkets and by trains
