Northern Trains announces winners of a £250k fund set up to improve railway accessibility
Northern Trains has announced the winners of a £250,000 fund which was set up as part of a wider project to transform its network and create a more accessible railway.
Schemes to install tactile wayfinding signs for people with visual impairments, immersive maps for people with autism and days out on the railway for students with special educational needs are among those that will benefit from the rail operator’s Accessibility Fund.
The fund is dedicated to empowering communities to make decisions which will improve the railway for all.
It’s a first for the UK rail industry as the successful bids were chosen by the independent Northern Accessibility User Group (NAUG) and supported by Northern.
A total of 13 winning bids from community groups and other organisations are set to receive grants of up to £50,000 from the fund to make accessibility improvements at stations in their area and make services available to anyone who may feel isolated or excluded.
Other projects will focus on station improvements such as fitting handrails, ramps and automatic doors.
Mark Powles Commercial and Customer Director at Northern, said: “Our customers are the heart of everything we do, and we are dedicated to making Northern’s services accessible to everyone, and to having a positive impact for the north.
“I am happy to announce that 13 bids have been successful, and I would like to thank everyone who got in touch with us with their ideas.
“The fund is part of our wider project to transform our network and encourage people to use public transport – no matter their circumstances.”
Locations set to benefit from Northern’s Accessibility Fund include South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Ulverston (Cumbria), Mouldsworth (Cheshire), Cuddington (Cheshire) and Buxton (Derbyshire).
Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, employing more than 6,000 people and running regional and commuter services across the north of England.
It provides more than 2,500 local and regional train services every day across the north of England, serving a population of nearly 15 million.
News of the fund comes after a report by the Office of Rail and Road recently revealed that tens of thousands of railway staff are being trained to communicate more effectively with disabled passengers, understand the challenges they may face when travelling, and to refresh their knowledge and skills to provide any assistance needed.
