A train company has apologised after a disabled passenger filmed one of the guards refusing to help him board a carriage. Father-of-one Qamar Khaliq said the train guard repeatedly refused to respond to his pleas for help at Manchester Piccadilly on Saturday. The 35-year-old said he was left with no choice but to film the guard's reaction. Northern Rail has apologised and is investigating the incident.
Mr Khaliq said what should have been a 10-minute journey back home to Guide Bridge in Audenshaw ended up taking him nearly two hours. "I always arrive at least 10 minutes early to ensure I can get helped on the train without a problem. There were no platform staff around and I could not see a train guard. A passenger on the train got up to help me and knocked on the guard's window to say there was a man in a wheelchair who needed help.
"When I asked for his assistance he made a no sign at me and said 'I can't take you, you will have to get the next one'. When I asked him why he refused to answer me and then refused to speak at all and just ignored me." Mr Khaliq started to film the guard's reaction. "Another train guard even yelled at me as I left saying the police would be coming and they would take my mobile phone off me for filming it," he added.
In the end, he said he left the station and instead boarded a bus, finally returning home at 2245 BST after initially trying to board the train for a 10-minute journey at 2036 BST that evening. Pete Myers, head of service quality for Northern Rail, said: "We would help anyone who needs assistance. That's why we put ramps on our trains and why we have assistants too. I would like to apologise to Mr Khaliq. Whatever has gone on he could not make his journey without hindrance and that's not right."
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