NORTHERN has scooped up a prestigious award for its innovative approach to accessible rail travel.

The operator's accessible travel simulation Serious Game won the Customer Service Excellence category at the Rail Business Awards and has been developed to support people who are anxious or need passenger assistance to help them build confidence to travel by train.

The awards celebrate achievements across the rail industry from daily operations to major projects.

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The first-of-its-kind digital solution allows users to choose a character and scenario that represents their needs, and experience trains, stations and interact with staff in a realistic, simulated environment from their phone, tablet, PC or in Virtual Reality. 

Maxine Myers, accessibility improvement manager at Northern, said: “This amazing new app will give confidence to some of our customers and even prospective rail travellers to enable them to take independent journeys. We want to support our customers whenever they need it.” 

The technology has been developed by Northern with lead partner Chrome Angel Solutions and digital technology experts Totem Learning, working closely with industry partners Angel Trains and Community Rail Lancashire.

The team won funding from the Department for Transport’s Accessibility Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG: Accessibility) programme delivered by Connected Places Catapult to develop and test a proof-of-concept demonstrator. 

The team is continuing to develop the simulation from user testing and is now expanding pilot testing, as well as demonstrating it to passenger and disability groups across the network, the operator said.

Northern also runs a mobility scooter permit scheme.