Kent & East Sussex Railway and imagineear launch app and multimedia guide

London. With imagineear's help, Kent & East Sussex Railways launch a new multimedia tour and app to take England's finest rural light railway from the age of steam into the age of mobile.

Visitors can now go behind the scenes at the railway and immerse themselves in an interactive multimedia guide. Whether they download the app to their iPhone or iPad, or hire an imagineear mediaPacker at the ticket desk, visitors can now explore Colonel Stephens' Railway and its unique history with expert commentary and archival images.

Visitors can experience how it feels to drive the trains, and hear from the people who keep it running today, or uncover the fascinating secrets of the countryside around the tracks. The guide adds a new element to the Colonel Stephens Museum at Tenterden Station too, as it tells the story of Colonel Stephens, light railway promoter, engineer and manager. At K&ESR, imagineear's creative team has used extensive interviews and archival imagery to create a true multimedia experience – exploring the age of steam with the best in current technology.

The on-site tour uses imagineear's innovative mediaPacker™ guides, designed for all the family and easy to use, and already in use at many of the world's leading visitor attractions from the Taj Mahal to National Museums Liverpool. Visitors use the guide to learn more about what interests them, and move at their own pace.

The partnership has seen K&ESR launch its first app for use on iPhone and iPad. Enthusiasts and prospective tourists from around the world can download a rich smartphone app, both engaging them in K&ESR's story and encouraging them to visit for themselves.  

Andrew Nugée, imagineear's co-founder and CEO commented: "This project is exciting not only because it will have such an impact for visitors to the railway over the coming years. With Kent and East Sussex Railway we will showcase what heritage railways can achieve using onsite and phone-based mobile guides. K&ESR has spotted the opportunity to engage new audiences, and offer existing groups an enhanced visitor experience. We look forward to realising their vision and playing a part in the next 50 years of the railway's story."

For more information about Kent and East Sussex Railways, please visit www.kesr.org.uk

Image © K&ESR - Kent & East Sussex Railway and Lewis J Brockway