Transport sector | virtual tour case study
Southeastern Railway
Southeastern Railway partnered with us to create an advanced, highly accessible virtual tour of Rochester Station. Designed for passengers with a wide range of needs, the tour enhances confidence, reduces uncertainty, and provides an intuitive, personalised way to navigate the station before travelling.
The tour achieves the following key goals:
- Fully accessible content for all users
- Increases confidence and independence when travelling
- Reduces anxiety
- Creates more efficient passenger journeys and positive experiences
- Allows users to personalise the experience for their individual needs
- Adds value across all digital channels
- Increases the number of passengers travelling on the network
The numbers that make us proud
travellers have used our tours to help plan tips, increase confidence and improve journey outcomes
of users said our virtual tours are an easy way to navigate stations and other transport hubs
of users stated our tours would increase confidence when navigating transport hubs
“I really liked being able to choose a specific route and have the tour guide me through it step by step. The spoken guidance and clear ticketing information were especially helpful. It’s a strong solution and a very good starting point for customers who need extra confidence when travelling”
The Brief & Outcomes
The aim of the project was to compare the viability and outcomes of the 3 main virtual tour products in the industry. The tour intends to be used to support users when planning their journeys and provide better outcomes. Our solution was the top rated in customer feedback, receiving a rating of 8.5 out of 10 vs an average of 6.5 out of 10 for the competitors products. Our solution built on exciting success with tours for over 60 rail stations by adding a number of new features to achieve the key project goals:
- A solution for all users with a focus on those requiring assistance or with additional requirements.
- Providing clear visual orientation and wayfinding.
- Ensuring accessibility through BSL, sensory tools, and personalised routing.
- Capturing the station environment authentically, with clear unobstructed views.
- Integrating real-time data to guide passengers directly to their specific platform.
- Personalisation to see the journey details relevant to the individual.
- Clearly communicate changes to entrances at certain times of day.
- Fast loading and easy to update.
- Inclusion of “how to” videos to help educate users for more positive outcomes and independence.
``This award-winning project marks an important moment in the future of accessible travel. By combining innovation with inclusivity, our pilot project demonstrates how digital tools can break down real-world barriers and give customers the confidence to travel independently``
What we achieved
To bring the station to life, we delivered a fully interactive, multi-layered virtual experience built around accessibility, accuracy, and ease of use.
Guided Tours with Real-Time Data
Passengers enter their travel details and the tour shows the best route, the right entrance, and what the station will look like at that time of day. Real-time train data guides them straight to the correct platform.
Generic Station Animated Help Videos
We added short “what to do” videos to show key steps like using ticket machines or going through the gates. These can be used across all digital channels and easily customised for each station.
Dynamic Day/Night Mode & Train Variations
We captured each platform with and without trains, and filmed the station in both day and night conditions. This helps passengers feel prepared, reduces uncertainty, and supports smoother travel.
Interactive Maps
Users can switch between detailed map formats, supported by a sensory overlay that highlights high-sensory areas to support neurodiverse travellers.
British Sign Language
Embedded BSL videos appear throughout the tour, ensuring Deaf passengers have access to equivalent travel information.
Ambient Soundscapes
Real station sounds, like lifts, trains and platform noises, give users a sense of what to expect. This is especially helpful for neurodivergent passengers who benefit from hearing the environment before they visit.The virtual tour was used to create a simplified video walkthrough that can be shared across all digital channels, including the website and YouTube. Its clean, clear visuals, enhanced with aerial footage, provide a quick and easy way for users to understand the station layout, and a dedicated BSL version was also produced.
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Unique benefits that are perfect
for transport industry virtual tours
The Rochester Station virtual tour lays strong foundations for future expansion, with several opportunities identified to enhance long-term accessibility, usability and integration across the Southeastern network.
Accessibility and user considerations include aligning with emerging accessibility standards, ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies, and exploring multilingual options. There is also interest in adding further accessibility detail such as gradients, ramp measurements and corridor widths.
Integration opportunities include embedding the virtual tours into journey planners, booking engines, engineering pages and internal staff tools. The tours also support Customer Relations teams by helping them visualise stations remotely when assisting passengers.
QUICK LINKS
Southeastern Railway Virtual Tour | The Virtual Tour Experts