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TransPennine Express Make their Onboard Entertainment Service Exstream More Accessible for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

TransPennine Express Make their Onboard Entertainment Service Exstream More Accessible for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Written by Amy
  • Closed captions and audio description are available onboard
  • Complimentary service gives customers access to entertainment on TransPennine Express trains

 TransPennine Express (TPE) has made some changes to its free onboard entertainment service making it more accessible for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.  

Closed captions and audio description are now available on Exstream allowing customers to easily read the words that are spoken on screen.

This new feature will allow customers including those who are deaf, hard of hearing or have cognitive or learning difficulties to access and enjoy the wide range of content available.

More than 150 shows are available to watch including selected episodes of Game of Thrones from seasons 3 and 4, David Attenborough’s Conquest of the Skies and Karl Pilkington The Moaning of Life.

Customers can also enjoy a range of blockbuster films including Bridget Jones’s Baby, Get Out and How to Train Your Dragon 2.

Charlie French, Accessibility and Integration Manager, for TransPennine Express said: “Exstream is already very popular and we are really pleased  that all of these great shows and films can now be easily enjoyed by our customers that are deaf or hard of hearing.

“We are always looking for ways to make our services more inclusive for the communities we serve.”

Dr. Roger Wicks, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Action on Hearing Loss, said: “This is definitely a welcome development for the 11 million people in the UK living with deafness and hearing loss, who are often excluded from enjoying the entertainment many of us take for granted. We’d strongly encourage other services which show films and TV shows to follow suit and make all content accessible.”

Customers can access the complimentary service via the TPE app which can be downloaded at home prior to boarding their train. They will then be able to connect to Wi-Fi when joining TPE on their next journey.

TPE is currently delivering a £500million investment in more services, extra seats and brand new Nova trains which will be rolled out in phases later this year and into 2020.

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Amy