Passengers at Chappel and Wakes Colne railway station will be greeted by a 'talking bench'.

The seat is equipped with a speaker which at the press of a button recounts the tales of surrounding villages, the East Anglian Railway Museum, the viaduct, and the train line itself.

The innovative bench is targeted not just at entertaining waiting commuters, but also to combat social isolation, and encouraging to chat.

Greater Anglia spokesman Alan Neville said: "The talking benches are a great addition to stations on our network, providing a novel and fun way to find out what there is to see and do locally, helping to boost tourism to the area and encourage more journeys by rail.

The bench was paid for by the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership, at the request of station volunteer Kath Beck.

She wanted a place at the station where people could gather and interact with each other.

Kath said: "After completing training with the Samaritans I thought it would be great to have one of these benches on the approach to the station.

"I’ve seen them at other stations in Essex and thought that it could provide a place for local people to sit and chat, and also provide a nice welcome and interesting information for people visiting the area.

"I hope it will be enjoyed by the whole community."

Additional benches, funded by both community partnerships and Greater Anglia's asset management team, are being installed at Alresford, Braintree, Hockley, Manningtree, Marks Tey, and Wrabness stations.

Jayne Summer, of the Community Rail Partnership, said: "We hope the new bench gets people talking and brings people together.

"The bench not only provides useful information, but is also intended to help tackle loneliness by providing encouraging people to connect and talk."