Travelling with a baby isn’t what you might call a carefree experience. Forget running for the bus or squeezing onto a tightly packed tram. Develop a voice loud enough so that when you’re faced with a flight of steps, passers-by are compelled to help you traverse them. Smile when your little one decides that the random commuter sat next to you is their New Best Friend. And, above all, remember that travelling by public transport is not only good for the environment, it’s good for the baby (just think of all the people they’ll meet, not to mention all the germs they’ll develop an immunity to). Anyway, here’s our guide to public transport in and around the Northwest.
STATIONS
Chester Station. Babychanging facilities: Yes. Cafe: Yes. Buggy-friendly? Yes, if you use the lifts. Staff: Friendly.
Derby Station. Babychanging facilities: Yes. Cafe: No. Buggy-friendly? Yes, if you use the subway – there are major renovations going on at the moment, so be prepared to wind round, double back and spend longer than you’d like walking from platform to platform. The lifts should be back in operation in September 2009. Staff: Helpful.
Huyton Station. Babychanging facilities: No. Cafe: No. Buggy-friendly? Yes. Staff: Friendly.
Liverpool Lime Street Station. Babychanging facilities: Yes (and free to use). Cafe: Yes. Buggy-friendly? Yes. Staff: Lovely.
Loughborough Station. Babychanging facilities: No. Cafe: No. Buggy-friendly? No. You’ll need help either to carry your buggy over the footbridge or (the better option) get a member of staff to accompany you over the tracks. Which is always a bit of a thrill. Staff: Nothing’s too much trouble.
Nottingham Station. Babychanging facilities: Yes, though they are locked and you need to find a member of staff to open them. Cafe: Yes Buggy-friendly? Yes, use the lifts located near the main staircase. Staff: Not really come across any during our travels…
Oxford Road Station, Manchester. Babychanging facilities: No. Cafe: Yes. Buggy-friendly? No. Platforms across the bridge are not accessible unless you pick up pram and carry it up and then down a flight of steep steps. We were told to ‘go to Piccadilly’ when we asked for help. Staff: Unfriendly, unhelpful.
Piccadilly Station, Manchester. Babychanging facilities: Yes, but they smell bad. Also, a female member of staff tried to prevent us using the disabled WC, arguing that I should leave my son outside the ‘normal’ toilets while I went for a wee. Er, because the busiest station in Manchester is such a safe place to leave a tiny baby on its own… Cafe: Yes. Buggy-friendly? Yes. Staff: Unfriendly, bordering on aggressive – our worst public transport experience to date.
Prescot Station. Babychanging facilities: No. Cafe: No. Buggy-friendly? No, you’ll need to ask someone to help you over the steps to the platform. Staff: Helpful (they carried the buggy over said steps).
Preston Station. Babychanging facilities: Yes. Cafe: No. Buggy-friendly? No, lots of steps and no lifts. Provision has been made for wheelchairs and buggies but you end up diverted via endless underground tunnels and, it seems, have to walk round the entire station in order to get out. Leave plenty of time to get to your platform. Staff: Didn’t actually speak to anyone.
York Station. Babychanging facilities: Yes. Cafe: Yes. Buggy-friendly? Yes, though like most old stations, lots of steps that mean you have to take lengthy detours. Leave plenty of time to get to your platform. Staff: Didn’t speak to anyone.
BUSES
There are too many buses to list individually, but general advice would be to look for new buses and also look out for the disabled symbol. (In Manchester, give the ancient Magic Buses a wide berth.) The wheelchair symbol is usually on the front of the bus and at the side, by the door, and it indicates that the bus floor is low, with no steps and room for several buggies on board. You sometimes have to ask the driver to lower the floor (most , though, will do it automatically). As with all public transport, don’t be afraid to ask the driver and other passengers for help/to move off the disabled seats/to lower the floor etc.
TRAINS
Our top tip when travelling by train is to look for the carriage that has a wheelchair and/or a bike symbol, as those carriages will have room for an unfolded buggy (and, usually, baby changing facilities close by).
Central Trains. (Liverpool-Manchester). Babychanging facilities: Yes. Buggy-friendly? Yes, in the disabled carriage or use the carriage that has room for bikes. The step up into the train is very high, though, so you’ll need to enlist help lifting the buggy on and off. Staff: OK.
East Midlands Trains. (Manchester-Liverpool). Babychanging facilities: Yes. Buggy-friendly? Yes, head for the disabled carriage. Note that carriages are very high so you might need help wheeling the buggy on and off. Staff: Helpful.
Transpennine Express. (Manchester-Sheffield). Babychanging facilities: Yes. Buggy-friendly? Yes, there’s a separate carriage for wheelchairs and buggies, with flip-up seats and tables, and right next to the babychanging facilities. Also, air-con! Staff: OK.
Transpennine Express Arriva Trains Wales (Manchester-Chester). Babychanging facilities: Yes. Buggy-friendly? Yes, the disabled carriage has plenty of room for both buggies and wheelchairs, and very easy to get on and off. Staff: Helpful.
TRAMS
Metrolink. Buggy-friendly? Yes, look for the wheelchair symbol on the platform as this corresponds to the buggy/wheelchair accessible carriage when the tram pulls in. Lots of space, though can get crowded during peak times.
