An Oxfordshire train station is trialling a British Sign Language (BSL) screen to provide the latest passenger information to help the deaf and hard of hearing.

Chiltern Railways is trialling the technology at four of its busiest stations including Banbury Station, London Marylebone, Birmingham Moor Street, and Leamington Spa.

The new screens are pre-loaded with standard messaging and timetable information and will notify customers of information during periods of unexpected disruption. 

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The screens also offer journey planning and onward travel functionality, meaning that customers can view local area maps and next direct trains.

An NFC (near field communication) pad on the side of the totem also allows customers to wirelessly transfer information to their phone or device by touching the pad.

Figures from the Royal National Institute of Deaf People (RNID) estimate that there are currently more than 150,000 BSL users in the UK, and for 87,000 people, BSL is their first or preferred language.  

 Accessibility and integrated transport manager at Chiltern Railways, Steve Scutt said:  “We know that for those with accessibility needs, travelling on the railway can be challenging, particularly during periods of disruption.  

“We are proud to have installed these screens, which will give customers who use BSL real-time departure information and allow them to travel with confidence. 

“Moving forwards, pending a successful trial, we are determined to explore making these the new normal at stations across our network.”