Network Rail has launched the UK’s first audio guide to help blind and partially sighted people navigate train stations.
It went live at Bristol Temple Meads this month and is the first time Network Rail has offered such a tool.
The guide was created after construction work during the restoration of the roof at Bristol Temple Meads station made it more difficult for some people to navigate an environment which was changing because of scaffolding and some areas being closed off or becoming one-way only.
Network Rail teamed up with Bristol Sight Loss Council (BSLC) to launch the guide to coincide with the International Day of Disabled Persons.
The guide, which includes 12 audio files, is available on the Network Rail website and can be accessed from smartphones and tablets to guide the listener safely through a section of the station.
Alun Davis, from the Thomas Pocklington Trust – which supports blind and partially sighted people – helped to write the guide, which includes details that someone with full sight may not think of, such as the station’s changing sounds and even its smells.
He said: “A train station for a totally blind person is a frightening environment. It’s all about confidence. It’s all about knowing the environment you’re going into.
“If you come across something you weren’t expecting, if you’ve heard it in advance, you obviously know about it, so therefore, you’re taking some of the fear and anxiety away.”
Although there is an assisted service at Bristol Temple Meads, the hope is that the guide will increase the confidence and independence for passengers.
Network Rail said it hopes to launch the guide at other stations.
