Improving train travel for deaf passengers

South Western Railway is trialling a new system that enables passengers to translate information instantly into British Sign Language, using AI-generated images. PAUL CLIFTON has been finding out how it works

Travelling by train is about to get a bit easier for deaf people. South Western Railway has launched a new service on its Waterloo to Salisbury and Exeter route. Passengers scan a QR code on the back of the seat, using their own phone, to have information translated into British Sign Language (BSL). Deaf actress Sophie Woolley tells RAIL of the challenges of rail travel, while helping to launch the new service at Waterloo. “I used to feel like a second-class citizen,” she says. “This makes me feel like I’ve been upgraded to First Class. We feel welcome in a public space. It is valuing us.” Stickers bearing a code have been attached to seat backs on the Salisbury-based Class 159 trains that operate on the West of England route.…

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RAIL (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 1025

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