Trains have (literally and figuratively) come a long way since the days of steam and coal. Even a humble economy ticket in 2019 will get you wi-fi and a plug sockets. In terms of comfort at least, things have been improving for the better. Unfortunately in some areas, access for the disabled has, until now, lingered a bit behind.
With the aim of accelerating disabled train access into the 21st century, Transport for Wales have been gone full-steam ahead (heh), improving the infrastructure of not only their trains, but stations too. With a plethora of upgrades chugging (!) nicely into fruition, TfW tasked us with creating an informative film that would highlight these changes and get the message out to the people of Wales.
We teamed up with Paralympian and all-round good guy, Nathan Stephens, who, armed with his trusty sports wheelchair, took up the role of professional-presenter-come-train-tester. Having had mixed experiences with public transport in the past, Nathan’s natural scepticism made for an authentic and relatable performance.
Shooting over two days, we covered Nathan’s journey from Bridgend to Swansea, showcasing all of the TfW’s new additions to their service, both technologically and physically. No actors were hired in the making of the film, so it was really great to see the genuine helpfulness of the staff on duty.
Delivered bilingually alongside Welsh and English subtitles, the film stands as its own little testament to how far rail travel has come. According to TfW, these improvements are just the beginning of what’s in store, so we look forward to seeing what they’ve got planned for the road (and rails) ahead.
