Bristol Temple Meads becomes first railway station to install new Assistive Listening standard to help passengers hear announcements
They’re on the right tracks for Auracast: Bristol Temple Meads has added another first to its collection with the successful installation of an Auri assistive listening system.
Designed by legendary engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the station opened in 1840 and served as the original western terminus of the Great Western Railway. The Grade I listed structure will mark its 185th anniversary on August 31.
Now, some 90 years since the completion of an extension, the railway station has been hosting trials of the new Auracast Bluetooth LE Audio standard.
This will enable passengers to hear announcements simply by tuning in to an Auracast – if they have compatible hearing aids, cochlear implants, headphones or ear pods.
The Auri system, the world’s first to be installed in a railway station, has been developed by Ampetronic and Listen Technologies and is like the setup used in Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre, among others.
This marks the first public deployment of Auri in a transport environment and represents a major step forward in accessible transit infrastructure.
Station Innovation Zone trial in partnership with Connected Places Catapult
The installation forms part of the Station Innovation Zone programme, a collaboration led by Connected Places Catapult in partnership with Network Rail and supported by Innovate UK.
The initiative aims to accelerate innovation in rail station technology and improve the experience for passengers.
Ampetronic installed 10 Auri transmitters at Bristol Temple Meads to provide coverage across high-traffic areas, including Platforms 9–12, the pedestrian subway, and the Ticket Hall. Testing confirmed a consistent performance throughout designated broadcast zones.
Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s Innovation Accelerator for cities, transport and place leadership, has set up eight projects in total in the Station Innovation Zone at Bristol Temple Meads.
These other projects include a virtual assistant to help visually impaired people navigate the station; a virtual companion to support anxious passengers as they go on their rail journey; a targeted lighting and sound system to guide passengers; and a project that monitors waste to ensure the station is cleaner.
Announcing the project last November, Dr Alan Peters, Ecosystem Director – Rail and Stations at Connected Places Catapult, said: “By embarking on this journey of innovation, these innovators are not just trialling new solutions but helping shape the future of stations and the wider rail experience.”
The Innovation Accelerator will support additional pilot schemes and recently announced the projects it is backing for the Scaling Innovation Programme, which will be delivered on behalf of the National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat).
How Auracast enhances audio accessibility in railway stations
The Auri system sees router-style boxes installed across an environment. These can share the Auracast signal to ensure maximum coverage. Each Auracaster covers a large area, with the length dependent on obstacles such as concrete pillars that the Bluetooth signal can’t go through.
While many people will pick up the Auracast via their own equipment, Ampetronic makes special Auri pebbles which can be borrowed from the venue. A wire plugged into the two 3.5mm jacks will create a personal loop for those with Telecoil enabled hearing aids, while others can plug in their own wired headphones. This ensures a level of backward compatibility.
Auracast uses Bluetooth LE Audio, a codec introduced from Bluetooth 5.2, —to deliver audio from public address systems directly to user devices. This technology improves speech clarity, particularly for people with hearing loss, neurodivergent individuals, and non-native English speakers.
It also aids occasional travellers who may benefit from personalised, unobtrusive audio cues to navigate busy stations … and struggle to hear station announcements.
Passenger experience and live trial with RNID
Ampetronic has been working with the RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) to lead extensive user trials at Bristol Temple Meads.
These assess Auri’s functionality, evaluate how passengers use the system, and identify potential enhancements.
Jonathon Hoskin, business development manager at Ampetronic, is pleased with how the setup has been performing.
“Early reactions from passengers have been extremely encouraging,” he said.
“We’re eager for more passengers to experience Auri, and hope they find it helpful as they navigate the station. We want everyone to be able to access clear audio, so they have a pleasant and safe commute.
“The feedback and insights we gather in this trial of Auri at Bristol Temple Meads Station can help improve accessibility, the passenger experience, and operational efficiencies here in Bristol and within the broader public transportation industry.”
Aurahear.co.uk to visit Bristol Temple Meads for first-hand experience
Later this month, Aurahear.co.uk will visit the installation site to experience the Auri setup first-hand and report on its impact. We look forward to seeing how this breakthrough in Auracast broadcast audio technology is being received on the ground.
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