Deaf News: London Euston becomes first UK station with BSL announcements

Euston is now the first railway station in the UK to offer live passenger information in British Sign Language (BSL), after 10 touchscreens became available in the building from Wednesday.

Any text-based or audio information can be translated by the software, and Network Rail – who manage the hub – look to double the number of screens available by the end of the year.

Loraine Martins, director of diversity and inclusion at Network Rail, said: “We understand that rail travel can be daunting for anyone with specific needs and we’re always looking at ways we can improve accessibility so everyone can travel with confidence.

“We’re really excited to have these screens installed and in action, to see the real difference they will make for passengers who use British Sign Language. Euston station is proud to be leading the way, and I look forward to a time in the not too distant future when screens like these will be the norm on the railway and not an exception.”

As well as the touchscreens, an extra large screen will soon be added next to the arrival and departure boards on the station’s main concourse. 

National Rail say the technology will also benefit passengers during periods of disruption, with messaging able to be translated into BSL and uploaded to the screens within an hour using 4G.

The £1.1 million installation is in partnership with the screen manufacturer LB Foster and interpreting firm Clarion UK, whose interpreters created a library of standard messages as part of the software.

Commenting on Wednesday’s launch, Clarion UK said they are “incredibly proud” to have been a part of the project, while LB Foster said the move is “a huge step forward” in making timetable information more accessible.

“This is [a] functionality we want to roll out to more stations and in more cases,” said Graham Kett, LB Foster’s technical operations manager.

While no further plans to introduce the screens in other stations have been announced, National Rail hope the technology will roll out to other UK stations managed by the company.

Photo: Network Rail.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is a mildly deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He wears bilateral hearing aids and can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.