Translink has introduced state-of-the-art navigation & service information technology at Belfast Grand Central Station to enhance accessibility for visually impaired and blind people. It is the first integrated (bus & rail) station in the UK and Ireland and the second in the world, after Amsterdam, to offer the ‘NaviLens’ service.
NaviLens empowers people and users enjoy enhanced independence, improved wayfinding and passenger information through real-time audio guidance along with multi-lingual support options. It provides accessible information using specialised colourful codes that can be scanned with a smartphone via a free app. The codes deliver audio cues and detailed information that enhance independent navigation as well as access to passenger service information.
Chris Conway, Translink Group Chief Executive, said its launch was a significant accessibility milestone:
“Incorporation of NaviLens into Belfast Grand Central Station reflects our strong customer focus and commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, setting a standard for public transport facilities worldwide.
“This launch marks a major accessibility milestone and is the result of strong collaboration with organisations including the Royal National Institute of Blind People Northern Ireland (RNIB), Guide Dogs Northern Ireland as well as the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC). We’ve listened to our customers, trialled and tailored the technology to ensure we optimise its benefits.
“We would like to thank everyone who worked with us to reach this stage and would encourage all of our customers to download the free NaviLens or NaviLens GO app to really enhance their overall station experience and keep everyone better connected.”
Robert Shilliday, Country Director of RNIB in Northern Ireland, said: “I’m so pleased to see the launch of NaviLens throughout Belfast Grand Central Station. For a blind or partially sighted person, planning and making a journey starts a process of having to overcome many challenges along the way. From navigating pavements and signage, to negotiating traffic and road crossings, so when you reach Belfast Grand Central Station, to be met by NaviLens digital signage, can really make a positive difference to the passenger experience. It removes some of the uncertainty a person with sight loss might feel about whether they are going the right way and that can build confidence to travel and maintain independence.
“To have information accessed via your phone on key points within Grand Central Station is so important if you can’t see the visual signage and I’m really pleased that we at RNIB, were able to work so closely with Translink on the planning, implementation, and user testing of this NaviLens project.”
Hannah Lyons, Policy and Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs NI, said: "This launch demonstrates what can be achieved through meaningful collaboration. By working closely with Translink and partners, we’ve helped ensure the voices and lived experiences of people with sight loss are at the heart of this innovation. NaviLens has the potential to transform how people with sight loss navigate public transport, supporting greater independence, confidence and equal access to travel"
Michael Lorimer, IMTAC Secretary said: "Imtac welcomes the inclusion of NaviLens at Grand Central as one of several innovations designed to make the station more accessible for Blind and Disabled people. The station's use of innovative design, including NaviLens and tactile wayfinding surfaces, is positive, as is the availability of well-trained staff to provide assistance when required."
Raul Moreno, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Projects, NaviLens, said: “We are delighted to work with Translink on this pioneering deployment at Belfast Grand Central Station. NaviLens was created to give people greater independence in complex public spaces, and this launch is a powerful example of how technology can make transport more accessible, inclusive and easy to use for everyone. Translink is setting an important benchmark for the future of inclusive passenger information.”
Darren Maher, Journeo Group Development & Communications Director, said: “Ensuring that everyone has equal access to the public transport information needed to help them plan, embark upon and complete their journeys is a must. It has been an absolute privilege to work collaboratively with Translink and NaviLens to plan, configure and install a solution that ensures the right information reaches users in the right place and at the right time. This project shows what’s possible when infrastructure, innovation and inclusion are treated as inseparable, and we’re excited to see the impact now it is fully launched.
“By introducing NaviLens at Belfast Grand Central Station, Translink is setting a new benchmark for accessibility at transport hubs. This is a genuinely pioneering step that demonstrates how technology, when designed in collaboration with users, can transform confidence, independence and the overall passenger experience.”
Translink has created handy NaviLens user guides available at
www.translink.co.uk/bgcs and for further information or support email
feedback@translink.co.uk . The NaviLens Apps are free and available to download from the App Store or Google Play.
