Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Launches First GPS Tour Train Experience in America

Canada (SANEPR.com) June 4, 2009 -- Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, an organization which operates an excursion train through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in cooperation with the National Park Service, announces the first train in America to significantly enhance passenger experiences on its scenic tour routes. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad provides passengers with scenic touring experiences on a historic railway between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, passing through the river floodplains, steep cut valley walls and serene forests of Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the quaint towns and villages in between.

As part of its goal to preserve the significant cultural and natural resources in the Cuyahoga Valley, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the National Parks Service are providing better railway tours for passengers by introducing advanced GPS audio tour systems by AudioConexus on its excursion tours. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, utilizing satellite (GPS) technology, is telling compelling location-based stories to connect passengers to the people who have called this valley home and to the places and events that have shaped Cuyahoga Valley’s natural and environmental history.

Providing fun, entertaining, and educational audio tours on its excursion train, passengers using small wireless receivers and headsets are provided with more meaningful and memorable scenic rail sightseeing tours. GPS Audio Tour systems are installed in each train car. Tour commentaries are triggered by GPS waypoints at precisely the right moment, regardless of whether passengers are located in the front or back of the train.

"The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad passes through a history-rich area including the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway. It’s a truly unique sightseeing experience, where passengers learn about the Cuyahoga Valley, the Cuyahoga River, and their human and environmental histories. Passengers are immersed in the stories and sounds of the Cuyahoga Valley, a natural backdrop for achieving our educational mission – to provide passengers on our railroad with great stories that captivate the imagination while sharing our interpretive message,” said Jennie Vasarhelyi, Chief, Interpretation, Education & Visitor Services, Cuyahoga Valley National Park. “We chose the technology provided by AudioConexus because their GPS Audio Tour systems were designed for rugged transportation environments, supported wireless receivers and headsets and offered the flexibility we require for expansion in the future. We’re extremely pleased with the high-quality of experience for our passengers.”

“Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the National Park Service have taken a leadership position by changing the way passengers experience train travel. We’re thrilled to be a part of a project that is redefining the quality of experience for scenic rail sightseeing,” said Jonathan Stanley, President & CEO of AudioConexus Inc. “The National Park Service has transformed the Cuyahoga Valley National Park into engaging, entertaining, and educational sightseeing experiences, enhancing the natural beauty of the park by transforming their train into a theatrical experience for everyone.”

The GPS audio tour system designed for Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the National Parks Service is a location-based (GPS) triggered, wireless tour entertainment solution offering tour commentary delivered to passengers on excursion tours. This portable GPS Tour solution has been configured to accommodate sixteen train cars – with the first phase of the project providing audio tours in English. In addition to providing a fun and informative sightseeing experience, the system also provides consistent, high-quality tours every time the train departs on a scenic railway tour.

The audio production for this project was produced by Antenna Audio. Antenna Audio is part of Discovery Communications, Inc.

About Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

In 1880, the first steam engine chugged its way down the new Valley Railway, signaling an era of progress and prosperity for the Cuyahoga Valley residents. Primarily built to transport coal from south of Canton to Cleveland's growing industries, the Valley Railway also served the farmers, merchants and factories along its route. Depots piled with farm produce dotted the valley section of the railroad line. Today, the historic rails are owned by the National Park Service as part of its goal to preserve the significant cultural resources in the Cuyahoga Valley. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is a private, non-profit organization that operates the excursion train through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in cooperation with the National Park Service.

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is 33,000 acres of land that is part of our National Park System. From river floodplain and steep cut valley walls to serene forests, you'll journey through a world of historic sites and timeless natural processes. A world that still enchants, even after 12,000 years.

About AudioConexus Inc.

AudioConexus Inc. (“ACI”) provides GPS triggered sightseeing tours in multiple languages simultaneously, removing language barriers for foreign language travelers. As a leading GPS Media and Entertainment company, we create GPS audio and video experiences in the real world, where urban and natural environments transform into theatrical backdrops for exceptional storytelling. The company provides tourism operators with significantly enhanced tour products and visitor experiences in any language, any topic, anywhere. We help tourism operators to increase sales, reduce costs, provide better sightseeing tours and promote safer driving.