Rail operator introduces virtual station tours

East Midlands Railways has introduced online virtual tours of its stations to help passengers plan their journeys, particularly those who are disabled or anxious travellers.

The virtual tours, which currently include stations at Derby, Sheffield, Nottingham, Lincoln, and Kettering, are designed to help customers travel with confidence.

They have been mapped using detailed 360-degree photography, allowing users to virtually navigate through all public spaces.

Customers can also access information about all public areas of the stations, including toilets, customer service desks, platforms, as well as other areas such as car parks and drop-off locations.

The web-based virtual tours also offer customers the option to navigate the stations using either ‘autopilot’ or ‘manual’ controls.

The autopilot tool enables users to select their desired destination within each station and be automatically guided to it.

Alternatively, users can choose manual navigation through a series of clicks if they prefer a more hands-on approach.

Throughout the development of the project, feedback was obtained from members of EMR’s Accessibility Panel, a group of disabled customers who regularly engage with the train company.

Georgie Hill-Jones, is a member on the panel, she said: “Virtual maps of EMR stations are going to make such a difference to passengers – especially disabled passengers.

“Having the ability to understand the layout of the station ahead of time will enable them to make better decisions about their time there with less anxiety and more confidence.”

Emma Davies, head of customer experience at EMR, said: “We know many of our customers can often feel anxious about taking a trip, especially if they have extra accessibility needs or haven’t travelled in a while.

“We hope these virtual tours provide a useful tool for customers when they are planning their journey.”

The virtual station tours can be viewed at https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/trains-stations/at-the-station/virtual-station-tours .