A town’s mayor put on a blindfold to experience first-hand what it is like for the visually impaired to travel on the railway.

The event was organised by the Guide Dogs for the Blind and the Kent Community Rail Foundation and began at Maidstone East Station.

The guests, who included the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Gordon Newton, Kent County Cllr Shellina Prendergast, and Southeastern’s community relations manager, Matt Fraser, then boarded a train for the short journey to Hollingbourne.

They were supported by Guide Dogs’ staff and joined by local guide dog owners, as they experienced the difficulties of buying a ticket, finding the right platform, boarding the train, locating a seat and getting off at the right station without being able to see.

Afterwards, they were treated to afternoon tea prepared by Guide Dogs volunteers in The Signal Box Café, newly opened in the former ticket office at Hollingbourne Station.

The mayor said: “It was very interesting. But my gosh, I hadn’t appreciated how difficult it would be!

“Getting onto the train was the hardest bit. You just didn’t know where to step and had to feel your way.”

“Of course, we had guides with us, so we knew we weren’t going to be allowed to come to any harm, but all the same, I felt very vulnerable.

“Then, when we got to Hollingbourne, I had to get off the train - which was just as bad.”

“It made me think about other difficulties that blind people might encounter - like cars parked on the pavement.

“Those guide dogs really are a life-saver.”

Diane Proctor, a member of the Maidstone Fundraising Group of Guide Dogs said: “Travelling by train can be incredibly challenging for people with sight loss. We hope this event gave our decision-making guests some concept of just how challenging it can be.”

Therese Hammond, project officer at Kent Community Rail Partnership said: “The event was designed to highlight the practical barriers that people in our community with sight loss face when travelling by train.

“Hopefully, with Southeastern’s support, we will be able to improve their future train travel experiences.”