How Rail Delivery Group & Network Rail Made Travel More Accessible with BSL Translations for Disruption Maps
May 12, 2025
Rail Delivery Group (RDG) is a membership organisation that works on behalf of the rail industry to create a better railway for everyone in Britain.
The Problem
Rail Delivery Group and Network Rail are committed to improving customer information and jointly lead the Smarter Information, Smarter Journeys (SISJ) Programme, the rail industry’s customer information programme. SISJ’s purpose is to improve customer information on the railways through innovation and addressing long-standing customer pain points.
One key SISJ initiative to support this vision was the introduction of Visual Disruption Maps; short, engaging videos designed to provide clear, jargon-free timely updates about rail service changes and alternative routes during disruption. Ensuring this vital information was accessible to d/Deaf or passengers that experience hearing loss presented a challenge.
The Selection
In late 2023, RDG approached Signapse to trial British Sign Language (BSL) translations for Visual Disruption Maps. The goal was simple: make Visual Disruption Maps available to d/Deaf or passengers who experience hearing loss in a format they could easily understand. Signapse was asked to provide BSL translation of the video content, which would be displayed in stations, on National Rail Enquiries and train operating company (TOC) websites, and on social media.
Signapse’s AI-driven BSL translation technology was seamlessly integrated into the existing disruption maps video content, enabling RDG to add sign language without disrupting their workflows. The trial was a success - passengers provided positive feedback, and it became clear that BSL translations could be delivered quickly and at scale.
The Implementation
By the end of 2024, RDG had fully rolled out Visual Disruption Maps across:
● Train stations (displayed on screens)
● National Rail Enquiries and TOC channels
● Social media platforms
The rollout of Visual Disruption Maps coincided with the launch of SignStudio, meaning that the team could be one of the first to use the platform. On a weekly basis, the RDG team uses SignStudio to upload all their disruption video content and request BSL translations with ease.
Real customer experiences
As we continue our journey to create a fully accessible railway, visual disruption map videos provide customers with an accessible way to receive information about disruption. By embedding BSL into the videos this ensures D/deaf passengers or passengers experiencing hearing loss can clearly understand alternative journey options available to them during disruption
Adam Blower, Head of Customer Information, Rail Delivery Group
Conclusion
By choosing to make all Visual Disruption Maps available in BSL, RDG and Network Rail make a significant contribution towards greater inclusion and accessibility for passengers. This case study shows that utilising SignStudio can easily enable sign language accessibility when it comes to video content.
As our collaboration continues throughout 2025, we look forward to improving the access to rail customer information for d/Deaf or passengers who experience hearing loss. This means they are now able to “travel their way” and with confidence.
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