Northern has announced the winners of a fund to create a more accessible railway for all.

Schemes to install tactile wayfinding signs for people with visual impairments, immersive maps for people with autism and days out on the railway for students with special educational needs are among those that will benefit from the rail operator’s £250K Accessibility Fund.

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.

Other projects will focus on station improvements such as fitting handrails, ramps and automatic doors.

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 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 public transport – no matter their circumstances.”