To enhance the experience for travellers on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways (FR&WHR), they have launched an app that will provide visitors with a personalised guide on their phone to accompany them on their journey along the line.
 
The FR&WHR Explore App has been made possible through the generosity of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Lottery players, the Ffestiniog Railway Society, and the FR&WHR Trust, and forms part of the railway's Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project.
 
To provide enjoyment for everyone, the FR&WHR Explore App uses a locomotive icon to mark the user's location on their route, accompanied by descriptive and historical information about the stops and points of interest along the line.
 
Each app also includes "Out the Window" games for each railway, highlighting things to look out for along the route.
 
These include a tank of rubber ducks to be spotted as the train travels through the forest between Penrhyn and Tan-y-Bwlch stations, Wagyu Cows, a herd of black cattle between Dinas and Waunfawr, and trees and landmarks.
 
Items of interest on the railway, and people who work on it, are also waiting to be spotted.
 
Every FR&WHR railway station has free Wi-Fi access, making it easy to download the App, and QR codes at ticket offices make it even easier to find the download site.
 
The FR&WHR Explore App is free to download from either the Apple Store or Google Play Store and is available in both Welsh and English versions.
 
Tours of the FR&WHR Interpretation and Boston Lodge Project will be available later this summer.
 
We want our visitors to enjoy a chat and the wonderful scenery.
 
The app has been designed by our NLHF Project team to enhance the journey and to be a conversation starter.
 
Our On-Train staff and volunteers are always more than happy to tell you about our wonderful locations and railway, and may even help you spot that family of rubber ducks and the toy alligator who joined them last season!
 
Stephen Greig - FR&WHR Visitor Experience Manager.