London buses to broadcast announcements directly into hearing aids and headphones
Key Points
- TfL is planning an Auracast Bluetooth trial on London buses that will broadcast service announcements directly to passengers' compatible hearing aids and headphones
- The pilot follows Govia Thameslink Railway confirming it has installed Auracast at Brighton station ahead of a public trial, and earlier UK deployments at Bristol Temple Meads and the National Theatre
- TfL's Equity in Motion plan has now grown to 108 accessibility actions, of which more than 50 have been completed
- A new equality, diversity and inclusion training course is being delivered to all 24,700 London bus drivers
- No start date, routes, or vehicle count have been confirmed for the bus trial
Transport for London (TfL) is planning to trial Auracast Bluetooth technology on its bus network, allowing service announcements to broadcast directly to passengers’ compatible hearing aids and headphones.
The transport authority confirmed the planned pilot in a statement to HotMinute, building on reporting first published by journalist Liam O’Dell.
TfL has not as yet announced a start date, named the routes involved, or said how many vehicles will receive the technology.
What Auracast does for passengers
Auracast is a Bluetooth Low Energy feature that turns audio from a single source into a broadcast stream that any number of nearby compatible devices can tune into.
Standard Bluetooth pairs one transmitter to one receiver, but Auracast lets hearing aids, earbuds, headphones, and smartphones with supporting chipsets receive the same audio at the same time.
For deaf and hard-of-hearing passengers, the practical effect is that a muffled tannoy gives way to a clear feed direct to the device on the user’s ear. Onboard noise, engine rumble, and PA crackle stop interfering with the message.
“We’re committed to making our transport network as fair, accessible and inclusive as possible,” said Mark Evers, TfL’s lead on Customer Insight, Strategy and Experience.
“As part of this, we are planning a trial of Auracast Bluetooth technology on buses, which would allow service announcements to be broadcast directly to customers’ compatible headphones and hearing aids.
“The results of this trial will inform any future decisions about other forms of transport within the TfL network, including rail services.”
How the bus trial fits with TfL’s wider accessibility push
The Auracast pilot sits within TfL’s Equity in Motion plan, launched in February 2024 to make the London transport network more accessible.
The plan started with more than 80 actions and has since grown through research, reviews and feedback to 108, of which TfL has completed more than 50.
TfL said it is also delivering a new equality, diversity and inclusion training course to all 24,700 of its London bus drivers.
What it means for the device in your pocket
For passengers wondering whether their existing kit will work, Auracast is part of the Bluetooth LE Audio specification, so support sits at the chip and operating system level rather than in apps.
Recent flagship Android devices from Samsung and Google’s Pixel range ship with Auracast support, as do a growing range of mid range earbuds and modern hearing aids from manufacturers including GN, Sonova, and Starkey.
Apple’s iPhone does not currently support Auracast as a receiver. The Bluetooth SIG estimates that more than a million venues will offer Auracast experiences by 2029.
The TfL pilot will be one of the first real world UK tests on a moving public transport vehicle rather than at a fixed station or terminal, and it will produce useful data on how the broadcast holds up as a bus changes location, and passengers cycle on and off.
