Nottinghamshire train operator is officially certified as being autism-friendly

The award, given by the National Autistic Society, is in recognition of EMR's autism-friendly practices and demonstrates it has met a certain set of standards to offer its customers an autism-friendly service.

EMR runs national, regional and local services across Nottinghamshire, including mainline trains between Nottingham and London and the Robin Hood Line between Nottingham and Worksop, serving towns like Mansfield, Hucknall, Bulwell, Sutton, Kirkby and Newstead.

To receive the National Autistic Society certification, EMR had to meet a number of criteria

This included making sure employees understood how to effectively communicate with autistic people, that places were more accessible and less overwhelming for autistic people and information about venues was easily available to help autistic people plan their visit

Emma Davis, head of customer experience at EMR, said: "We are proud to receive the Autism Friendly Award from the National Autistic Society.

"We have always been committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all our customers, including those on the autism spectrum.

"This recognition reaffirms our dedication to providing an autism-friendly service and highlights the importance of understanding and accommodating the needs of autistic individuals and their families."

Christine Flintoft-Smith, head of autism accreditation at the National Autistic Society, said: “We’d like to congratulate East Midlands Railway on achieving our new Autism Friendly Award.

"Every organisation that gains the Autism Friendly Award will be helping to make the UK a more autism-friendly place and make a difference to the lives of autistic people and their families.

“There are lots of small changes which businesses can make to better support autistic people, and just a little understanding can go a long way. We’re looking forward to working with as many businesses as possible to help create a society that works for autistic people.”

The Autism Friendly Award is a leading accreditation programme set up by the National Autistic Society to help businesses play their part in creating more welcoming environments and making a difference to the lives of autistic people throughout the UK.