Luton Parkway introduces rail audio guide to help blind and partially sighted people
Rail travel for blind and partially sighted rail travellers has been made easier thanks to the introduction of new train audio guides.
The guides, designed to improve accessibility for blind and partially sighted rail travellers, have been written for six key stations including Luton Parkway.
Created by Sight Loss Council volunteers and accessibility managers at parent company Greater Thameslink Railway (GTR), the guides help disabled passengers familiarise themselves with station and train layouts, key facilities and important navigation points before they travel.
Dave Smith, Sight Loss Council engagement manager for South East England at national charity Thomas Pocklington Trust, said: “As blind and partially sighted people, we rely heavily on public transport to access work, and medical and social appointments. These guides we’ve developed with GTR will make rail travel so much easier.”
Thameslink’s accessibility engagement manager Antony Merlyn said: “Dave has a unique insight into the challenges for blind and partially sighted people travelling by train and it was great to work with him to create new guides describing our principle Southern and Great Northern trains as well as these audio descriptions covering six of our key stations.
“We hope these guides, alongside the free use of the Aira navigation app and numerous Try a Train events we have hosted over the past year, provide blind and partially sighted people with added confidence to travel with us. I’m really looking forward to continuing our partnership with Dave and the Sight Loss Councils over the coming months.”
Guides have also been written for Thameslink’s trains and most of those operated by Southern, as well as for carriages running in and out of Moorgate on Great Northern.
They can be found on the ‘Support whilst you’re travelling’ pages of the Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern websites and complement other resources including the Easy Ticket and Easy Train Travel guides, aimed at neurodiverse customers, as well as a Travel Support Card for people who need assistance but find it hard to ask for help.
To support the launch, Sight Loss Councils and GTR will host ‘Coffee, Chat and Navigation’ events at the six stations featured in the guides, helping blind and partially sighted passengers build confidence travelling by rail and share feedback on the new resources. For more information and booking, visit the website.