East Midlands Railway (EMR) is to install nearly 200 new customer information screens at its key stations of Derby, Nottingham, and Sheffield, as well as at many regional and rural stations.

This is a £1 million project, with the colour screens designed to be easily visible under a range of weather and lighting conditions. Their functionality has been optimised so that they can be understood by customers who have different levels of literacy and those who aren’t proficient in English.

In addition to their basic functions, 25 of the screens will be interactive. These will provide customers with about important local and accessibility information, such as options for onward travel, tourist information, and the locations of council offices. They will also have the facility for customers to scan QR codes that will provide access to downloadable useful walking routes.

Neil Grabham, Customer Services Director at East Midlands Railway, said, “We understand the difference easy-to-understand customer information screens can make. The new screens will help customers quickly comprehend the latest information about their journey, consequently improving the flow of people around our stations.

“We have taken great care to ensure they work effectively in busy environments with considerable background noise and visual distractions. Furthermore, they have been designed to be accessible to a wide range of customers, from tech-savvy travellers to individuals who prefer printed timetables, as well as those with low literacy or non-English speaking backgrounds.”

The following stations will have basic customer information screens:

• Beeston
• Chesterfield
• Derby
• Kettering
• Loughborough
• Mansfield Town
• Market Harborough
• Matlock
• Narborough
• Newark Castle
• Stamford
• Wellingborough

Stations with interactive customer information screens are:

• Ambergate
• Beeston
• Burton-on-Trent
• Chesterfield
• Corby
• Cromford
• Derby
• Duffield
• East Midlands Parkway
• Kettering
• Leicester
• Lincoln
• Long Eaton
• Loughborough
• Mansfield Town
• Market Harborough
• Newark Castle
• Nottingham
• Sheffield
• Sleaford
• Wellingborough

As well as these new screens, East Midlands Railway is making travel easier at some stations in its regional network by installing Smart Kiosks with screens that provide real-time travel information.