Northern Rail, which runs services through Ilkeston Railway Station, has announced the winners of a fund to create a more accessible railway for all.
The fund is dedicated to empowering communities to make decisions which will improve the railway for all.
It’s a first for the UK rail industry as the successful bids were chosen by the independent Northern Accessibility User Group (NAUG) and supported by Northern.
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 to make accessibility improvements at stations in their area and make services available to anyone who may feel isolated or excluded.
Projects across the Northern’s network will focus on installing tactile way-finding signs for people with visual impairments, immersive maps for people with autism and station improvements such as fitting handrails and ramps.
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 a 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 the railway – no matter their circumstances.”
David Carlisle said: "We plan to minimise the number of signs we intend to put up to maximise and focus their impact.
"Although they resemble warning signs, having black edging and black symbols and text on a yellow background, we have made our signs slightly different to differentiate them. By doing so, they will be equally useful to rail users with other disabilities, notably visual acuity issues and Autism, when clear instructions avoiding sensory overload are important."