Aira is an app designed to provide visually impaired people with on demand access to visual information and increase their confidence for independent travel.

According to a BBC report from October 2024, the app is now able to be used at more than 200 stations in 11 counties.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Great Northern services, has said that the app (details here) became fully available on  Thursday 17th October 2024 at the 236 stations it manages.

It had previously only been available at 12 stations on the network as part of a trial run by Sight Loss Councils and national charity Thomas Pocklington Trust.

The BBC report cites GTR accessibility lead Carl Martin: “This app helps blind and partially sighted people travel independently, whether that’s to locate a member of staff for assistance when they first arrive at the station or to simply find the ticket office or grab a coffee.”

Aira can be easily downloaded directly from either Google Play (Android) or the App Store (iOS).

Further details are available here; Aira – Visual Information On Demand.

How does Aira work?

The Thames Link website explains AIRA as follows:

"The customer contacts an Aira trained agent through the app on their own phone, the agent will then utilise the camera on the phone to provide visual interpretation about the station environment.

Assistance provided by the agent can range from reading information boards, providing navigational assistance within the station, or navigational support to find a member of staff.

Aira users can use the Aira service free of charge at GTR managed stations without the usual five-minute time limit. The call to Aira is free, although you may still be charged for data if you don’t have a data plan in place."

Here are a couple more recent articles on initiatives which assist people with low vision or who have no vision...

BBC News website October 2nd 2024 - Blind rail passenger helps write train audio guide

BBC News website 16th October 2024 - Launch of 3D maps to help disabled travellers