A blind Melbourn villager is helping Thameslink and Great Northern promote a new service for passengers with disabilities at Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton stations.
Diane Rose, 55, has been blind since 2013, when a genetic condition suddenly took her eyesight.
She said: "It was very quick. All I thought, at first, was I had was a stye in my eye. My son developed it when he was 19 – the first family member in generations.
"Then my niece, Skye, who’s 24 and also lives in the village, lost her eyesight as well."
Diane, who works in the village Co-op, explained the need for assistance at stations for blind and partially-sighted passengers.
"Taking the train is very important because it helps me keep my independence," she said.
"I use it to meet up with friends, in London or the pub socials with the VIS (visually impaired society) in Cambridge, and I go to Ely to visit my son.
"I have my guide dog Zen (so named because she’s very calm!) but sometimes there’s a gap between the platform and the train and I’m never sure how big that is.
"Having someone to assist me makes all the difference."
To support customers with disabilities, Great Northern and Thameslink have launched a mobile assistance team based out of Royston.
The team has a van and specialist training, and aims to reach Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton within 20 minutes of a call, seven days a week.
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All but one of the platforms at the stations has step-free access, allowing the support team to provide ramps onto the trains for wheelchair users and customers with mobility scooters.
They can also assist other customers, such as older people with luggage, people who are visually impaired or parents with pushchairs.
Passengers can request assistance at the station by contacting the control centre from the station help point using the 'emergency and assisted travel button', calling 0808 168 1238 or texting 07970 511077.
They can also book the mobile assistance team further in advance by contacting the assisted travel team either online, via the Passenger Assistance app, or by calling 0800 138 1016.
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