As part of efforts to transform railway accessibility across Northern’s network, the rail operator has announced £250k funding, split across 13 successful bids to improve access to stations and services.
Schemes to receive funding from Northern’s £250k Accessibility Fund include installing tactile wayfinding signs for people with visual impairments, immersive maps for people with autism and days out on the railway for students with special education needs.
Northern have introduced the fund to help empower community-led decision making on what will improve the railway for all.
While supported by Northern, the successful bids were chosen by the independent Northern Accessibility User Group (NAUG), in a first for the UK rail industry.
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, allowing them to make accessibility improvements at stations in their area and ensure services are available to everyone.
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.”
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