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ixcug.bsky.social
CrossCountry Rail Users Group
@ixcug.bsky.social
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ixcug.bsky.social
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Mass cancellations on the below routes due to train crew unavailability. This ain't drivers being lazy, this is a systemic failure by CrossCountry to hire enough staff and therefore relying on optional overtime to run timetables.
November 8, 2025 at 10:57 AM
ixcug.bsky.social
Please see our below statement, discussing an anonymous submission to our "Experiences With CrossCountry" survey 👇

Alt text ⬇️
pastebin.com/efHdBGWQ

Download a copy of our statement ⬇️
drive.proton.me/urls/HAHR48Q9R…
November 4, 2025 at 6:03 PM
ixcug.bsky.social
On the back of disability rights activist Doug Paulley sending us his absolutely appalling experience with CrossCountry, we've opened our submissions form.

Do us a solid and scan the below QR or visit forms.office.com/Pages/Respon... to tell us what you really think of CrossCountry.
November 3, 2025 at 8:10 PM
ixcug.bsky.social
Please see our statement on the complete failure by CrossCountry to provide assistance to disability rights activist, Doug Paulley.

#DisabledByTheRailway
A question - Would you expect to be downgraded from First Class because someone else sat in your reserved seat? Outrageous, right? Yet that's exactly what happened to disability rights campaigner Doug Paulley. On November 21st, 2024, Mr Paulley was due to travel on the 11:46 CrossCountry service from York to Bristol Parkway. Upon attempting to board the train, Mr Paulley was denied access to the wheelchair space he reserved as another wheelchair user, from an earlier stop with no reservation, was occupying the only suitable space in First. CrossCountry offered Doug a downgrade to the Standard Class space in Coach F, which he rightly declined. This led to a 30-minute stand-off on the platform just to secure his legal right to travel. Mr Paulley was eventually allowed onto the train and given access to his booked wheelchair space, after having to position his wheelchair in the dispatch corridor to prevent the train's departure. Instead of taking accountability, XC made public announcements attributing the 30-minute delay to “passengers causing a disturbance” on JourneyCheck, an excuse typically reserved for police-related incidents, which this never was. It’s shameful at best. Mr Paulley was then forced to take legal action against XC Trains Ltd, with Leeds County Court finding that he was discriminated against, as they failed to provide him with his booked wheelchair space. This isn't a one off incident, it's a systemic problem caused by train operators like CrossCountry seeing disabled people as second class passengers. You would never see a Train Manager downgrading an able-bodied passenger to Standard Class if they had a seat reservation - why should it be any different with a disabled passenger? What can and should change? It is inevitable that CrossCountry will be starting the process to procure new units, potentially within the next 5 years. We call on CrossCountry Managing Director Shiona Rolfe to ensure that any new-build units ordered for CrossCountry have… From speaking to Mr Paulley, we are very satisfied that he did not cause any “disturbance”, he simply (and quite rightly) demanded the wheelchair space that he was entitled to. Thankfully, when the train arrived into Leeds, the delay attribution was changed to a “problem under investigation”, however the accusation is still unacceptable. There's no excuse for disability discrimination in 2025. It's time for CrossCountry, and the rail industry to prove that accessibility isn't optional. CrossCountry Rail Users Group - 2/11/25.
November 2, 2025 at 9:00 PM