New app to help blind and partially sighted people at Bedford train station

A new app is being introduced at Bedford train station as part of a scheme to make the rail network more accessible for blind and partially sighted passengers.

The app, named Aira, enables blind and partially sighted customers to place a video call with a trained advisor who looks through the customer's smartphone camera to guide them around the station on speakerphone.

The initiative, led by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) in conjunction with Sight Loss Councils was first trialled and launched in June 2023.

With the support of national sight loss charity Thomas Pocklington Trust and Sight Loss Council volunteers, the scheme is now been extended to eight other stations including Bedford.

Carl Martin, GTR’s Accessibility Lead, said: “We want everyone to be able to use our services, regardless of their disability or need for assistance.

“We’re always on the lookout for innovative ways to improve, and extending this app to more stations could make a real difference to blind and partially sighted people.

“All our staff are trained to assist our customers, whatever their needs. We hope this app can improve the support we already offer blind and partially sighted customers to put them in control of their journeys.

“We’re grateful to Thomas Pocklington Trust and Sight Loss Councils for helping us spread the word to as many people as possible and helping us get feedback on this latest initiative.”

David Smith, Sight Loss Council Engagement Manager for Thomas Pocklington Trust, said: “It is essential that everyone can travel independently and safely, and live the lives they want to lead.

“As a blind person myself, one of the challenges with stations is they’re often large open spaces. This means that navigating to the ticket office or gateline to find a member of staff can be difficult.

“Having the support from an Aira agent means that I can confidently and independently navigate the station to locate passenger assistance and get to where I need to be. I can even drop by the coffee shop before heading to the platform.”

Blind and partially sighted passengers can download the app Aira Explorer from the Apple Store or Google Play on their mobile device.