New technology promises better information for rail passengers
RAIL PASSENGERS are less likely to be misled by false ‘on time’ service updates when new technology is installed next month.
Some parts of the Northern network, as well as services operated by Grand Central, LNER, Chiltern and parts of ScotRail, will become the first in Britain to benefit from a GPS-led location tracking system.
The technology will reduce instances of trains incorrectly showing as ‘on time’ on information boards, apps and websites when they are really delayed.
One in seven trains were late in the past 12 months.
Train locations are currently measured at fixed points, which are more than five miles apart in some places, but GPS tracking is accurate to a few metres and is due to be delivered across the whole network by 2024.
Jacqueline Starr, managing director of customer experience
at industry body Rail Delivery Group, said: “In 2019, technology will continue to transform the way we travel by train, as the railway introduces innovations to provide more useful, up-to-date and personalised information at people’s fingertips.
“We want to give customers more control over their journey than ever before and tackle the key points where they get frustrated, as the rail industry works to change and improve.”
London Overground operator Arriva Rail London is piloting another new technological upgrade. It involves using camera recognition systems to provide better information on the number and order of carriages, and transmit alerts when they need to be cleaned.
The Rail Delivery Group said that as more trains become connected to the internet, passengers will be able to find out the best place to stand on a platform to board their train, which carriages have the most free seats and whether the toilet is working and accessible.
A six-month trial was recently launched to enable passengers to receive personalised journey updates through Facebook Messenger.