IT was full steam ahead for Milford Haven Macular Society Support Group after members were invited to take part in a Familiarisation Day organised by Transport for Wales.

Members of the group got onboard for the hour-long train journey to Carmarthen to test some of the assisted travel services available to people with sight loss and other disabilities when travelling on Transport for Wales’ trains.

The group was accompanied by Geraint Morgan, community affairs manager at Transport for Wales.

Geraint recently visited the group at one of its monthly meetings to talk to its members about the support on offer to anyone using the train who has a visual impairment. He also invited the group to come and try it out for themselves.

The trip was one of many events taking place throughout the UK as part of Macular Week, which ran from June 24-30.

Macular disease is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK.

There is still no cure and most types of the disease are not treatable.

Madeline Roberts, leader of the Milford Haven Macular Society Support Group, said: “When Geraint asked us if we’d like to see how the assisted travel service works, we thought it was a great idea.

“I travel by train a lot myself, but many of our group don’t use it regularly or haven’t travelled by rail for a long time. For some of them, it’s simply because they just haven’t felt confident enough to do it. But there’s so much help and assistance available if you need it and nothing is too much trouble for the staff.

“It was also great that we could do this during Macular Week and use the opportunity to raise awareness of macular disease and spread the word to as many people while we were out and about.”

Geraint Morgan, community affairs manager at Transport for Wales, said: “The familiarisation trips offer an opportunity for people to experience a journey by train with the aim of giving everybody the knowledge and confidence to travel again in the future.”

The Milford Haven Macular Society Support Group meets on the first Thursday of the month, 2-4pm, at Milford Haven Library & Information Centre, Cedar Court, Havens Head Business Park.