Transferable Audio-Visual Equipment on Rail Replacement Coaches
The Department for Transport
Award
Up to £99.9k
Total fund Up to £1.85m
Deadline
Closes 18 December 2026
Where
England, Wales, Scotland
North East, North West, South East, South West
Summary
The Department for Transport is providing up to £2 million in grant funding to support coach operators in delivering accessible journey information on rail replacement services. From the 1st of August 2026, these services will be required to provide clear, audible and visible information, including next stop announcements, in line with the Public Service Vehicle (Accessible Information) Regulations. The grant will reimburse up to 75% of the cost of purchasing transferable audio-visual equipment, helping operators meet these requirements and provide passengers, particularly disabled passengers, with greater confidence, independence and consistency when travelling during disruption. The scheme will run for six months, or until funding is fully allocated.
Who can apply
The grant is open to coach operators who provide, or are capable of providing, rail replacement services in England, Scotland and Wales. Applicants must be organisations that operate coaches used for passenger transport and are responsible for delivering services during periods of rail disruption. To be eligible, applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have purchased equipment that is both capable of providing AIR compliant journey information on coaches, and that is easily transferrable between vehicles. Applicants may include operators with an established track record of providing rail replacement services, as well as operators who are able to enter the market. Operators with evidence of recent rail replacement activity may be eligible for higher levels of support aligned to their level of service provision. Peripheral equipment such as screens, and portable induction loops are also eligible provided they are easily transferrable between vehicles, and are capable of generating AIR compliant journey information themselves, or are purchased to support equipment that is capable of generating AIR compliant journey information. Funding is provided on a reimbursement basis, so applicants must be able to cover upfront costs and provide evidence of purchase. Applications will not be accepted from: Organisations that do not directly operate coaches (for example, leasing companies, intermediaries such as aggregators); Bus operators that do not also operate coaches; equipment that requires permanent fitting to a vehicle; equipment that is not capable of generating AIR compliant journey information, or does not support equipment capable of generating AIR compliant journey information. Meeting these eligibility criteria does not guarantee funding. Applications will be assessed against the scheme’s requirements and the availability of funding.
Full details
The Department for Transport is providing a time-limited grant scheme, with up to £2 million in funding, to support coach operators in Great Britain to purchase transferable audio-visual (AV) equipment for use on rail replacement services. The purpose of the scheme is to accelerate the availability of services capable of providing clear, audible and visible journey information, in line with the Public Service Vehicle (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 (AIR). These regulations require that operators provide journey information such as current and next stop in an accessible format, which is particularly important during disruption and essential for many disabled passengers: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2023/9780348246872/contents Rail replacement services are a critical part of the transport network, providing continuity when rail services are disrupted. However, there are currently not enough coaches equipped with suitable AV equipment, to meet national rail replacement demand. The grant scheme seeks to address this by subsidising the purchase of transferable AV equipment, which can be installed, removed and reused across different vehicles. Transferrable equipment supports faster deployment, improved value for money, and more flexible use compared to permanently installed systems, enabling a smaller number of units to support a larger number of journeys. Funding will be provided on a cost recovery basis, reimbursing a proportion of eligible costs after purchase, ensuring that public funding directly increases the number of vehicles capable of providing compliant information. The scheme is designed to be targeted and time-limited, supporting a rapid increase in equipment that enables coaches to comply with AIR, as quickly as possible. It will operate for a defined period, encouraging early uptake while allowing operators sufficient time to plan and procure equipment. By increasing the availability of compliant rail replacement services, the scheme will help ensure passengers receive consistent and reliable journey information during disruption. This will improve confidence and independence when travelling, particularly for disabled passengers, and bring the standard of rail replacement services more closely in line with the experience passengers expect when travelling by train.