Rail Engineer often describes innovation in the world of passenger information systems, online train running information, ticketing initiatives and suchlike, all based around the technology and its deployment. But how effective are these developments and do they fulfil the needs of the different types of passengers? A recent online event assessed and discussed the whole perception and reality of passengers’ experiences – what is good, what needs improving, and overall satisfaction levels.
A keynote address by Steven Ireland, head of stations, security and customer relationships at Network Rail, spoke of the need to understand the variety of journeys made, be it for business, pleasure, or visiting family. Passengers need confidence to travel but incidents do still happen, and some safety concerns remain.
Customer satisfaction is linked to economic growth, so it is important to get it right. Accessibility, heavy luggage, help with push chairs – all create anxiety, but one of the worst fears is confusion between Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and the threat of being penalised if on the wrong train. GBR will hopefully bring all of this together, but the helpfulness of on-train and station staff is key. The age of the digital traveller has arrived and with this a new dimension for ticketing, scanning procedures, and integrated journey plan opportunities. Even the speaker admitted he is often confused by it. A railway where passengers are always valued must be the objective.
Rebuilding passenger confidence
Hosting a group discussion was Tanya Arnold, a regular train user from Yorkshire who invited comments from experts representing Scotrail, Avanti, Transport Focus, Network Rail, and Campaign for Better Transport. Passenger confidence was seen as a big factor with concerns on seat availability, sufficient carriages, tickets at the best price, consistency at stations, communication of train delays, comfortability of waiting areas, and information provision all being regular causes for complaint.
So often, social media reporting provides the passenger with better information than that gleaned from local staff, where integrated service training on technical advances is often inadequate. Train disruption does occur but advice on whether tickets can be used on another TOC is not understood. Often, PA announcements and indicator displays are incorrect. ScotRail aims to get staff out from behind ticket office counters and be more face-to-face with customers.
A real turn off for rail travel is engineering work and bus substitution. This happens far too frequently, much of it being caused by what a colleague describes as ‘lazy safety’. Most passengers will avoid travelling by rail and either use their car or not travel at all. Often, the bus services are un-coordinated between start and end points. Extended journey times become inevitable, and the loss of revenue must be significant. More effort is needed to create rail services by an alternative route with associated ticketing to match.
Ticket fraud is estimated to cost £400 million annually. This is a huge problem, and a wider clampdown is needed to catch persistent offenders and hold them to account. However, genuine mistakes do occur, and the industry must not hound people who genuinely do not understand the validity of tickets.
The age of the smartphone is with us, but the industry must still provide for passengers who do not possess them. With smart phones comes the excuse of the phone being lost, out of power, or it having been stolen, which applies to staff as well as travellers.
Mindful of the criticism, some action is being taken: a joint exercise between Network Rail and Avanti at Birmingham New Street is improving information flows and advice; joint training of Southeastern Trains and Govia Thameslink staff at London Bridge is underway; and joint ticket acceptance between TransPennine Express and Northern (both government-controlled companies) is happening. Staff presence at both stations and on trains is viewed as vital with constant monitoring of unsocial behaviour such as feet on seats, vaping, and use of bad language being regular problems.
The digital traveller
Another group session with representatives from the Rail Delivery Group, Go Media, Network Rail, and a consultant, noted the encouraging move from paper to electronic ticketing. Ninety-four percent of people under the age of 60 have smart phones with 84% under 80 similarly equipped. That said, significant legacy systems still exist, and these must be brought together under GBR. Magnetic stripe tickets still account for 25% of sales but are costly to design and operate. Paper tickets will remain for many years but hopefully with the mag stripe removed and replaced by a barcode. Open Access operators are not integrating into Network Rail requirements.
The Darwin system which co-ordinates information for passenger information systems has existed for many years and works on the principle of a single source of truth, even if on occasions it is wrong. Journey planning advice needs to improve at providing practical advice. An example would be a five-minute connection at a station where the incoming train is often seven-minutes late and thus the connection is not made.
Connecting the passenger reliably to the internet is a challenge and 5G provision throughout a journey is the objective. This will have to be a joint project between established Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and, where coverage is difficult, radio provision from Network Rail (GBR in the future). There are different ways this can be achieved which are being explored. Even then, the provision of mobile phone charging points on trains is not universal and the problem of people being penalised for not being able to show a ticket happens all too frequently.
The prospect of a seamless journey across different modes of transport is an ambition but integration between even London-based TOCs and the Underground is not currently possible as Transport for London (TfL) does not use bar code readers. This deficiency is being worked on. A closing suggestion that systems must not be built for the lowest common denominator and tough luck on those without smartphones, may not get universal acceptance.
Independent rail retailers
Selling rail travel and making it easy is important. Anthony Smith, chair of the Independent Rail Retailers, explained the massive change in how rail travel can be purchased. There are many online retailers – TrainLine, Raileasy, Assertis, Evolvi, TrainPal, Omio, Fast Rail Ticketing, Trip.com Group – all of which sit alongside the existing TOCs and GBR into the future. Having a level playing field is necessary. Some retailers charge fees but if the ticket is seen as good value, then customers accept it. It is a competitive market which drives good outcomes. The independent retailers have no subsidy and are all self-financed.
Fares can be confusing but the independents do understand how to get the best value. In the drive for fares simplification, there is a risk of some fare increases. Through-ticketing is important to some passengers. Getting tickets that cross ‘islands’ such as London or Manchester can be a challenge.
The view that legacy systems for ticketing and reservations must be swept away is controversial but allowing longer periods for booking in advance is needed.
Accessibility for all
A group session with representatives from Transport for All, Transport for the North, Northern Accessibility Panel, and East West Rail looked at various factors to make rail travel easier for disabled customers. Buying a ticket, obtaining information, boarding a train, changing trains, leaving a train, and connecting to other modes can all be challenging, not just for wheelchair users but also those with sensory deficiencies such as hearing and sight loss.
As a baseline, accessibility standards do exist for the design and build of new trains, but more pragmatic build considerations are needed. Fifty percent of stations do not have adequate accessibility provisions in place. Toilet facilities, for example, are often locked due to the risk of vandalism, necessitating the use of access keys.
The desire for level boarding is there but, with rolling stock having different heights and station platform curvature, it is not realistic in the short term. The provision of ramps for wheelchair users, either at stations or on trains, has improved enormously but having staff available to put ramps in place is not always possible. Even with a new railway like East West Rail, level boarding will be a challenge. New build stations need to learn from others and having architects involved from the start is vital.
There are some quick wins: improved public address, station lighting, platform surfacing, induction loops – all can be achieved without having to take possessions. The cost of providing accessible facilities can be very high and money is not always spent wisely, so best value must be considered when competing for funds.
The ticketing dilemma
Understanding the ticketing system is one of the biggest complaints about rail travel and GBR places this as a high priority to resolve. The exact issues were discussed by a panel of people with ticketing experience, representing the Customs and Revenue Growth team, the Fares Ticketing and Retail Programme, Silver Rail Technologies, and Northern Ireland rail operator Translink.
Price is a huge issue, and many different ticket prices exist for the same journey. While this offers choice, many customers do not understand it and pricing needs a more holistic approach across the network. Split ticketing is often a means of getting the cheapest fare, and three tickets for one journey is commonplace. There can be many different ticket types, for example: fully flexible, specific trains, or advance tickets.
In Northern Ireland, admittedly a much smaller operation, pricing was based on a comparison with bus and coach operators leading to 558 different types of ticket. This has now changed to a mileage basis with fare bands. It has meant there being winners and losers but the mobile mLink ticketing app resulted in 11 million journeys last year, 2.8 million of them being by rail. Something similar might be appropriate in mainland Britain. One typical example involves two stations in Cheshire, both served by Avanti and a similar distance from London but on different routes, where one fare is 40% more expensive than the other.
Rail travel does offer a turn-up-and-go service but the price of buying a ticket on the day can be extortionate and this is not viewed favourably by the public. Some TOCs do offer advance fare prices on the day but not necessarily for the next available train. It is all to do apparently with the regulated fares structure. The use of contactless smart cards linked to pay-as-you go, tap-in tap-out, proves popular with bus transport but can result in high prices when available for rail journeys. The TfL Oyster Card system permits travel on main line rail as far as designated stations within a greater London boundary and this offering should be extended to other city regions. It is noted that Transport for Wales is leading the way to design a system for multi-mode travel opportunities including rail, bus, taxi, and parking, all by means of a tap-in tap-out system.
In summary
This event was interesting in that while it made mention of all the new technologies and innovations to enhance the passenger experience, the effectiveness of these remains questionable in many areas. The subject is huge with large amounts of variables both internally with service provision and externally with many different categories of customer. It is interesting that leisure journeys represent 37% of rail journeys, now greater than commuting. Slowly but surely the confidence of people using digital technology is improving – having a ticket and other information on your phone was once a challenge but it becomes easier the more it is used.
The concept that it will all become right once GBR is established is an oversimplification as the management team must grapple with the same problems. Thankfully, it is a fact that the provision of services and information is vastly better than it used to be, helped to some extent by social media. We will watch with interest to see how co-ordinating and integrating plans improves the known shortcomings in the future.
Image credit: iStockphoto.com/alice-photo
