FWT – NORTHERN RAIL STATION EXIT POSTERS 2005

Description

When Northern Rail won a large franchise it wanted to offer passengers practical onward-travel help beyond station limits. It appointed FWT to produce Useful Information Posters (UIPs) — clear, locally detailed maps and information (taxi ranks, bus stops, post offices, etc.) for over 200 stations. Rather than generic atlas reproductions, FWT designed bespoke maps at appropriate scales, added street indexes for quicker look-up, and created a tube-style network route map. The project was planned by patronage categories (noting ticket-sales limits) and divided into regional batches; maps were drawn first, then site-surveyed to verify features and correct errors. Larger stations received Double Royal posters with walkable catchments and indexes; smaller stations used scaled-down versions. Special solutions (e.g., Alnmouth/Alnwick dual maps) addressed atypical catchments. The synchronized drawing/survey rollout took six to eight months; Northern Rail praised the usability, cost-effectiveness and professionalism, and FWT continues to update the maps. Emphasis throughout was on scale, legibility and practical usability.