Awareness of Parkinson’s on the Right Track

Trainline has partnered with leading charity Parkinson’s UK on a new campaign to make rail travel more inclusive for everyone.

As part of the initiative, the leading independent rail and coach travel platform selling rail and coach tickets, has launched a new badge to improve understanding of conditions like Parkinson’s and encourage greater patience among passengers. 

In the UK today, someone is diagnosed with Parkinson’s every 20 minutes and around 166,000 people are currently living with the condition - a number that continues to rise. It’s a progressive neurological condition caused by nerve cell damage that reduces dopamine levels in the brain.

There are more than 40 symptoms, and each person’s experience of Parkinson’s is unique. This individuality means the condition is not always recognised or understood, which can lead to misinterpretation - particularly in busy travel settings. 

New research from Trainline highlights why greater public understanding is needed. Confidence around recognising Parkinson’s in the UK is low. Over half of people surveyed (54%) said they were unsure about identifying symptoms, and only 15% said they felt “very confident” in doing so.

Just under one in five (18%) would recognise slow movement or unsteadiness as a possible medical condition and almost one in ten said they might mistake Parkinson’s symptoms for something else entirely, like intoxication.

This shows the importance of increasing public understanding, as physical symptoms such as a tremor or slower movement are more widely recognised than less visible effects such as anxiety or fatigue.

Over half of those surveyed (55%) said a visible badge would make them more likely to offer help.

The message on the badge, “Patience please, travelling is challenging for me”, encourages understanding from fellow travellers by reminding people that kindness and patience can make a big difference. 

“Parkinson’s affects everyone differently, and for me the hardest part is that people don’t expect someone my age to have it,” said 47-year-old Ben Gee (pictured above) who lives with Parkinson’s.

“I can’t always stand for long and sometimes my tremors or movements draw looks or questions. The badge takes away that ambiguity, meaning I can travel more confidently - it quietly explains what might be going on without me having to prompt the conversation.

“It’s not just about helping people with Parkinson’s, it’s about helping others understand - giving them the green light to show kindness, ask questions or offer assistance - something that can change your whole journey.”

The badges are now available to order for free from the Parkinson’s UK online shop.