London, 2nd April 2025 - Eurostar is proud to pledge its commitment to supporting autistic individuals by officially endorsing and signing the ‘Charter of commitments relating to the inclusion of travellers with autism in the rail environment’.  

This charter, drawn up in conjunction with SNCF Réseau, and other supportive associates, demonstrates the collective dedication to fostering inclusivity and accessibility for all rail travellers across its wide network - spanning five countries. From this World Autism Awareness Day, Eurostar will take a proactive and comprehensive approach to enhancing the travel experience for individuals with autistic needs.  

The charter commits the business to further develop its neurodivergent-friendly design throughout Eurostar’s network, create clear, accessible and sensory-sensitive messaging for autistic individuals and provide more intensive autism and neurodivergent supportive training for all frontline staff. Within this framework, Eurostar pledges to: 

• Ensure that the websites further comply with digital accessibility requirements and promote this across all ticketing partner platforms. 

• Provide travellers with clear neurodivergent-friendly information, across all digital and physical channels.  

• Sign-post easy access to booking assistance at the stations on the Assist'enGare platform. 

• Provide training for staff interacting with customers on the needs and specific requirements of individuals with autism 

• Involve autistic individuals in testing all customer journeys to gather their feedback on the accessibility of rail transport and consider necessary adaptations.  

• Increase awareness of pedestrian crossing hazards and ensure all passengers fully understand safety documents and the signage at stations and on platforms designed to mitigate rail risks 

• Study and evaluate the possibility of introducing facilities and adaptations to enable autistic individuals   to shelter from excessive sensory stimuli caused by crowds, noise or light, in stations and on trains. 

Heather Campbell, Eurostar’s Chief Communication and Diversity & Inclusion Officer says: “At Eurostar, we believe that travel should be an inclusive and positive experience for all. By signing this charter, we are taking a crucial step towards making our trains, check-in and lounges more accessible and welcoming, with a particular focus on creating an environment where autistic individuals feel at ease. This commitment reflects our dedication to ensuring that every passenger feels safe and supported.” 

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NOTE TO THE EDITORS 

About the charter: 

This charter has been drawn up with the support of a number of French associations working to take better account of the needs of people with autism in society: 

• Unapei, through its network of 330 family associations in France,  

• The PAARI association, which brings together people with autism who are self-represented, supports the approach.  

• The Atypie'Friendly programme, which works with a network of partner universities to improve the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorders,  

• The Apipesh programme, a university scheme to support neurodiversity, supports the approach.  

• Autisme Info Service provides information and support for autistic people, their families and the professionals working alongside them.  

Eurostar current accessibility offering for those who have neurodivergent needs: 

• Ability to book assistance up to 24 hours in advance or to turn up on the day 

• Detailed and clear information on our accessibility hub online 

• Staff trained to understand the needs of customers with autism and neurodivergent conditions 

• Ability to travel with an assistance dog or cat to offer emotional support 

• Ability to book a reduced rate for a companion 

• Fast track available through the ticket gates in our London route stations 

• Pre-boarding of trains 

• Clear information and signage