Improved accessibility is at the centre of a £5.3m Government funding competition with project winners being announced today.

The 2023 First of a Kind competition comprises 17 projects in total, six of which are focussed around accessibility.  It is run by the Department for Transport along with Innovate UK and includes more accessibility projects than the previous six rounds of funding.

The projects aim to drive efficiency, modernise infrastructure and make railways a better experience for passengers through the use of new and innovative technology. Projects will be supported  through development phases involving real trials on the railways in coming months.  In turn, the process means projects will have a better chance of being used across the network long term.

Examples of accessibility projects revealed in this year’s competition include artificial intelligence (AI) technology to allow live staff announcements to appear on train tickers, thus enabling passengers who are hard of hearing to see vital updates regarding their journeys.

Other proposals include siting QR codes around stations which will allow train managers to input important information regarding things such as platform changes or service alterations as well as providing a database for accessibility information. This should help ensure that passengers have all the information they need to complete their journeys.  Online journey planners could provide timely and necessary information such as where to find accessible toilets on stations and trains, including whether they are open and in use, thus giving passengers increased confidence when planning a trip.

Platforms in rural areas could be provided with on-platform kiosks to alert train drivers that they need to stop. The system will be similar to pressing a button to let a bus driver know that they need to pull up at the next stop and will improve the travelling experience for people with mobility problems.

Additional projects revealed in this year’s competition, the seventh time it has been held, include a sensor to detect leaves on the line, a perennial problem which causes delays.  There’s also DreamSuite, a new design for UK sleeper services and new technology that to allow train timetables to be updated rapidly during extreme weather episodes.

More than £50m of funding has been awarded to 150 projects as part of the competition over the last six years, helping innovative technology to be used in a number of initiatives which have reached the market.  These include Seat Frog, which allows passengers to swap train tickets without purchasing a new one.  There’s also a train-mounted camera which can identify and address lineside maintenance issues as well as Transreport‘s technology which enables passengers with disabilities to request assistance more easily.

The First of a Kind funding is in addition to a £350m funding package which forms part of the Network North planto improve accessibility at up to 100 stations.  This will include refitted lifts, tactile surfaces, ramps and footbridges, new ticket gates and accessible waiting rooms and toilets.

Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: “We’re spending more than £5 million on modernising train journeys, improving the experience for some of the most vulnerable passengers and using cutting edge technology to do so.

“The projects announced today have the potential to make a huge difference to passengers, whether that’s being able to read important announcements or locate accessible facilities. I’m proud of the support we’ve been able to show through this competition to drive towards a more innovative, inclusive and better value for money rail network.”

Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent watchdog Transport Focus, added: “This new investment in accessibility improvements is a welcome move to help rail passengers with disabilities travel freely and with greater confidence.

“It is important that people with disabilities have full access to trains and station facilities. Improving information and new innovative solutions will help staff give all passengers the support they need.”

Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, stated: “The innovations receiving support through this competition are set to foster a more accessible, inclusive railway system within the UK and to develop demonstrators that offer innovations in customer experience, reliable and maintainable assets and optimised train operations.

“The objective is to endorse a wider array of innovations that focus on enhancing railway accessibility for all passengers, ensuring a more equitable travel experience while creating easy to maintain assets and optimising train operations.”