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Thursday 30 Nov 2023

Network Rail marks International Day of Disabled Persons with investment in sign language screens, station navigation app and stoma-friendly toilets at all of its 20 stations

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Network Rail is celebrating International Day of Disabled Persons by announcing the rollout of three projects to make rail travel more accessible for passengers. Goodmaps GPS guides, British Sign Language (BSL) screens, and stoma friendly toilets will be introduced at all 20 Network Rail-managed stations* by the end of March 2024.

While some Network Rail stations already have some of those innovations, with sign language and Goodmaps technology at stations such as Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime Street and stoma friendly toilets at 14 stations including London Paddington and Birmingham New Street, the company is now investing over £2m in a project to give passengers at all its stations the same level of service. The company hopes that greater use of technology will make travelling by train easier for everyone, including people with disabilities.

Video: Network Rail's accessibility manager Natasha Marsay explains the idea behind the improvements.* 

Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: “Everyone deserves to be able to access our railways with confidence and the rollout out of these projects will transform the way millions of people with accessibility needs travel by train.

“We’re committed to ensuring the rail network works for everyone, which is why just last week we made millions of pounds available to trial our own innovative new accessibility technologies which aim to make journeys more accessible for passengers.”

Network Rail’s chief executive Andrew Haines said: "Travelling on the rail network should be for everyone and that’s why we want to make the network as inclusive and accessible as possible. People rely on us for journeys they simply couldn’t make any other way and we take that responsibility seriously.

"We also know that some passengers with disabilities want to travel without the need for assistance, so the BSL screens, the station sat nav app and stoma friendly toilets, will hopefully make a difference and give people more confidence, and autonomy, to travel by rail.”

The projects are:

• Goodmaps GPS guides is a sat nav smartphone app that will provide passengers with a list of places within the station, retail units, platforms, ticket offices and toilets. This will then enable the user to tell their phone where they want to go and the app will map out the journey within the station, offering turn-by-turn navigation. It will also allow passengers the ability to select their navigation preferences, such as step-free access for wheelchair users or avoiding escalators for guide dog users.  

• British Sign Language (BSL) screens display signed travel information offering the latest advice for passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing. The screens started as a trial at Euston station back in 2021 and proved invaluable and are now in place at 11 of the busiest stations across the county, including Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, and Birmingham New Street. 

• Stoma friendly toilets will allow people to change their stoma bags in a safe and clean environment. They will also have signage on the door to remind people that not all disabilities are visible. Each toilet will have:
• Hooks to hang personal belongings.
• Shelves to provide a clean surface where people can put their medical supplies.
• A bin inside the cubicle to dispose of used stoma bags discreetly.
• And a mirror that enables people to view their stoma while changing their bag. 

Sunday 3 December is International Day of Disabled Persons. Some Network Rail stations will be lit up in purple, as a symbol, celebrating the contribution of disabled people around the world. 

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