The Built Environment Access Panel (BEAP) is an established inclusive culture initiative within Network Rail that places diversity, lived experience and accessibility at the heart of organisational decision-making.
For over 10 years, BEAP has helped embed inclusion throughout Network Rail by creating a structured way for disabled people, people with other protected characteristics and accessibility specialists to directly influence how the organisation designs and delivers the railway. It was founded by Margaret Hickish MBE, drawing on her work leading access and inclusive design for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, at a time when many public sector access panels were disappearing due to funding cuts. BEAP has bucked that trend, growing into a thriving, embedded part of Network Rail’s culture rather than a one-off consultation exercise.
The panel combines lived experience of disability with professional expertise in inclusive design and accessibility. Their insight enables Network Rail teams to better understand barriers faced by passengers and communities, challenge assumptions and develop solutions that work for a diverse range of people.
BEAP is embedded within Network Rail’s Diversity Impact Assessment process, ensuring inclusion is considered from the earliest stages of a project rather than addressed after decisions have been made. Through monthly reviews, workshops and user testing, BEAP works with designers, engineers, project teams and leaders to build knowledge, confidence and capability around inclusive design.
The initiative has created a cultural shift within Network Rail by moving accessibility from a compliance-focused activity to a shared organisational responsibility. BEAP helps teams understand that inclusive design is not simply about meeting standards; it is about listening to people with lived experience and designing environments that enable everyone to participate equally. As BEAP Chair Fara Muneer puts it: “The legacy of our railways spans over 100 years, and many are not accessible. Accessibility is not just about compliance; it’s about trying to always improve and aim for good practice informed by end user input.”
Its influence reaches well beyond station buildings. BEAP’s scope spans rolling stock, ticket machines, customer information systems, external realm, parking and retail spaces. At Doncaster, for example, panel members tested new trains’ boarding and alighting experience for people using mobility aids, wheelchairs, luggage and pushchairs, ensuring designs were inclusive before they reached passengers. This breadth means inclusive thinking is embedded across the whole passenger journey, not just the station environment.
Over the past decade, BEAP has supported more than 450 rail projects across England, Wales and Scotland, shaping station environments, passenger facilities, information systems and infrastructure design, while also changing how teams approach inclusion. It also provides constructive challenge, ensuring inclusion remains central when projects face competing priorities, such as value-engineering decisions, and has supported major partners including HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport.
The initiative’s impact is recognised across Network Rail. Malcolm Pitt, Network Rail’s Head of Customer Experience and Accessibility, said: “The BEAP is an integral part of how Network Rail delivers better accessibility outcomes for our customers. The panel provides expert guidance across a range of projects and plays a crucial role in shaping accessibility strategy and policy development. Their constructive challenge and independent perspective help ensure we consistently improve our accessibility standards.”
Frank Anatole, Network Rail’s Principal Architect and part of the Technical Authority, which holds a national review and assurance mandate on technical guidance, added: “Because BEAP is made up of individuals with lived experience of accessibility challenges, the panel provides unique, expert guidance on station and infrastructure design. This proactive engagement not only enhances passenger experience but also supports Network Rail’s commitment to compliance with equality legislation, ultimately fostering a more equitable and efficient transport system.”
BEAP has also influenced colleagues, partners and the wider transport sector, bringing diverse perspectives into the design process and helping teams understand their role in removing barriers.
BEAP demonstrates what an inclusive culture initiative should achieve: not a one-off campaign or activity, but a sustainable approach that changes behaviours, improves decision-making and ensures diversity and inclusion are embedded throughout an organisation. Through BEAP, Network Rail has created a lasting mechanism where lived experience informs action, inclusion becomes part of everyday practice, and the railway is designed with everyone in mind.
Built Environment Access Panel (BEAP) | London, UK
