Passenger information: the railway needs to catch up

[Bletchleyite]

So, I received this from sleasyJet. By text, about 5 hours before the flight.

We're sorry but the oven on your flight today is not working, so we won’t be able to offer you any hot sandwiches. We have a wide selection of other snacks and cold sandwiches available for you to buy, or you can buy something in the terminal before boarding. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this causes.

Time the railway upped its game? Particularly with things like toilet unavailability - a text warning of the need to go for a wee before boarding would be most useful.

 

[randyrippley]

So, I received this from sleasyJet. By text, about 5 hours before the flight.

We're sorry but the oven on your flight today is not working, so we won’t be able to offer you any hot sandwiches. We have a wide selection of other snacks and cold sandwiches available for you to buy, or you can buy something in the terminal before boarding. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this causes.

Time the railway upped its game? Particularly with things like toilet unavailability - a text warning of the need to go for a wee before boarding would be most useful.

Considering most trains don't have hot food available anyway, what would be the point?

 

[ComUtoR]

On a walk up ticket purchase. How do you contact the passenger in good time ?

When buying a ticket you would need to provide your booked service as well as provide contact details.

There is a good reason why train/plane analogies don't work :/

 

[NSE]

The toilet could 'break' as it approaches the end of the route where it has a ten minute turn around. I'm already on the platform waiting. Not much use.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Ever heard of something called JounryCheck?

 

[AngusH]

It doesn't need to be all or nothing, provide the information to people where contact details have been provided.

edit: This is done by Virgin trains for delay repay (and other things?)

Or ask if they want to register to journey updates when they buy.


Ideally of course, the train reports its failures automatically when the facility gets locked out of use.
Then both the central controllers and the passengers can see the data without requiring anyone to manually update things.

I don't think the information systems are quite up that though

 

[Darandio]

Ideally of course, the train reports its failures automatically when the facility gets locked out of use.

We're sorry but one of the passengers on an earlier service has blocked the toilet with what can only be described as a truly monumental turd and the this facility is locked out of use on your service. Please make provision to use the station facilities before boarding.

 

[AndrewE]

Time the railway upped its game?

Definitely. I have lost count of the number of times that I have discovered that I know more about what is going on than staff on stations (by looking at realtime trains - and here, of course.)

It seriously embarrasses them and makes them more defensive... then aggressive. A real shame, and something that needs to be addressed. A proper risk assessment would acknowledge that the public cannot stand being deceived and front-line staff subsequently bear the brunt of passengers' reactions.

I don't want a text, when I am on the platform I want the platform display screens to tell me that the train is the wrong way round, or that my train - due now - is still stationary and half an hour away. I don't want "5 minutes late" to be altered every 5 mins with a 5-minute increment. If it is going to be at least half an hour arriving I want to be able to go for a coffee or whatever is appropriate.

 

[Llanigraham]

So, I received this from sleasyJet. By text, about 5 hours before the flight.

We're sorry but the oven on your flight today is not working, so we won’t be able to offer you any hot sandwiches. We have a wide selection of other snacks and cold sandwiches available for you to buy, or you can buy something in the terminal before boarding. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this causes.

Time the railway upped its game? Particularly with things like toilet unavailability - a text warning of the need to go for a wee before boarding would be most useful.

Gosh, another complaint!

What would have happened if you hadn't booked your ticket using a mobile phone application?

How would you deal with all the "walk on" passengers on the railway?

How would you contact all those that don't use a mobile app for their railway tickets?

How many rail companies ask for a mobile number?

 

[AngusH]

Looking at it another way, a comparison with a direct competitor who is doing better in one specific area?


Best to grab every idea the competition have

 

[AngusH]

Actually the important thing is to have a single data pipeline that is then distributed to all of the displays whether text, mobile app, station display or staff information tools.

So there is only one "truth" about the situation, with perhaps extra information for staff on internal details.

 

[Pseudonym]

We're sorry but one of the passengers on an earlier service has blocked the toilet with what can only be described as a truly monumental turd and the this facility is locked out of use on your service. Please make provision to use the station facilities before boarding.

At least that might bring a smile to the face.
Yes I have an odd sense of humour.

 

[ainsworth74]

On a walk up ticket purchase. How do you contact the passenger in good time ?

How would you deal with all the "walk on" passengers on the railway?

So because one subset of passengers wouldn't benefit we shouldn't bother? Because from the tone of yours posts that's what it sounds like!

Strikes me that it would be a selling point for the TOCs if anything! "Want information on changes to the facilities on your train as well as up to date running information? Sign up to our app or website and nominate the train you're planning on using and we'll send you updates direct to your phone/email before departure"

Then you've got them using your website/app which means they may start buying tickets through you plus you'll start to see what trains they use and can look at targeting offers to get them spending more money or even start to get some loading information as more people sign up (and you'll get info on what you're walk up ticket holders/season ticket holders are planning).

Or I guess we could just say "Nah why bother it might be a bit hard and not everyone will benefit anyway"?

 

[AndrewE]

Gosh, another complaint!

What would have happened if you hadn't booked your ticket using a mobile phone application?

How would you deal with all the "walk on" passengers on the railway?

How would you contact all those that don't use a mobile app for their railway tickets?

How many rail companies ask for a mobile number?

Do we agree? My points, posted half an hour (sorry, 20 mins) before yours, were that that as proper (i.e. accurate real-time) information for people actually on the platform was do-able using people and telephones 20 years ago it should not be beyond the wit of someone to work out how to do it now!

 

[PHILIPE]

Definitely. I have lost count of the number of times that I have discovered that I know more about what is going on than staff on stations (by looking at realtime trains - and here, of course.)

It seriously embarrasses them and makes them more defensive... then aggressive. A real shame, and something that needs to be addressed. A proper risk assessment would acknowledge that the public cannot stand being deceived and front-line staff subsequently bear the brunt of passengers' reactions.

I don't want a text, when I am on the platform I want the platform display screens to tell me that the train is the wrong way round, or that my train - due now - is still stationary and half an hour away. I don't want "5 minutes late" to be altered every 5 mins with a 5-minute increment. If it is going to be at least half an hour arriving I want to be able to go for a coffee or whatever is appropriate.

Also, I don't want trains disappearing from the screen when they don't turn up after a few minutes and they are still on their way, When delayed is show, I know it might be difficult to give even a rough estimate in many circumstances, but I would like to know if it's by 3 minutes or 3 hours.

 

[jon0844]

Staff can sometimes be informed of trains without toilet facilities but it seems screens often can't, or don't. That is something that could be done relatively easily I'm sure, but perhaps not cheaply?

And when delays count up minute by minute, software could also allow for a message to state where the train currently is. Of course there are a number of ways to find this out yourself but why not use platform screens? If a train is four or five stations down the line, it's not as if passengers on the platform are going to miss anything by having more text to read!

 

[AndrewE]

If a train is four or five stations down the line, it's not as if passengers on the platform are going to miss anything by having more text to read!

Quite: why say 5 mins late (5 mins after it should have been here) when the running time is 20 mins without any additional disruption? It just makes the staff look stupid - when the company is willfully keeping them in ignorance.

I am thinking of a northbound train not yet having passed Stafford (20 mins away from Crewe) on a long-distance service that runs only once every 2 hours, not one that's just 3 stops behind schedule on an intensive suburban service.

 

[Llanigraham]

Do we agree? My points, posted half an hour (sorry, 20 mins) before yours, were that that as proper (i.e. accurate real-time) information for people actually on the platform was do-able using people and telephones 20 years ago it should not be beyond the wit of someone to work out how to do it now!

And the question remains, how, when many people do not use their phones for getting tickets and never give their number to a ToC?

Strikes me the urbanites have forgotten the rest of the country (again)! :roll:

 

[edwin_m]

So, I received this from sleasyJet. By text, about 5 hours before the flight.

We're sorry but the oven on your flight today is not working, so we won’t be able to offer you any hot sandwiches. We have a wide selection of other snacks and cold sandwiches available for you to buy, or you can buy something in the terminal before boarding. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this causes.

...but all the information systems in the world didn't stop this:

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...gatwick/ar-AAoxEb2?li=AAmiR2Z&ocid=spartanntp

Unaccompanied child taken off overbooked easyJet flight at Gatwick

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm sure unaccompanied children have failed to get on full and standing trains, too, but it doesn't make the news.

 

[ainsworth74]

And the question remains, how, when many people do not use their phones for getting tickets and never give their number to a ToC?

So, again, you're saying we shouldn't do it because not everyone will benefit? That seems crackers to me!

 

[Bald Rick]

I look forward to seeing Easyjet staff walking through the plane with forms explaining how to claim compensation for all your money back when the trip is more than an hour late.

 

[Dougal2345]

Ideally of course, the train reports its failures automatically when the facility gets locked out of use.

I'd be happy with just a small warning light outside the toilet which comes on when there's no water to wash your hands, rather than finding out after using the loo.

It wouldn't be of interest to 90% of passengers though, I suspect...

 

[Llanigraham]

So, again, you're saying we shouldn't do it because not everyone will benefit? That seems crackers to me!

I am saying that I cannot see the point of doing it to mobile phones when their use for railway ticketing is so small.

 

[ainsworth74]

I am saying that I cannot see the point of doing it to mobile phones when their use for railway ticketing is so small.

So it's offered as an optional extra? As I said earlier in the thread:

Strikes me that it would be a selling point for the TOCs if anything! "Want information on changes to the facilities on your train as well as up to date running information? Sign up to our app or website and nominate the train you're planning on using and we'll send you updates direct to your phone/email before departure"

Then you've got them using your website/app which means they may start buying tickets through you plus you'll start to see what trains they use and can look at targeting offers to get them spending more money or even start to get some loading information as more people sign up (and you'll get info on what you're walk up ticket holders/season ticket holders are planning).

So not all passengers currently use mobile ticketing or hand over their mobile number (though they do all hand over their email address if they're buying online so why not send an email?) but if you can offer them more information it seems likely that plenty of people may well be tempted to sign up! Plus why does it have to just be selling tickets? Could just be a part of the function of an app (or part of the function of the TOC's website).

 

[waterboo]

It would not be impossible to implement a feature into TVM's that asks for a mobile number when completing a transaction, which can trigger a text message with the full details (timetable) of the service that the customer is about to board.

the trainline app is well ahead of the game by providing notifications to the phone for platform alterations, cancellatiobs etc...

 

[sheff1]

Ever heard of something called JounryCheck?

No ....

 

[NSE]

We're sorry but one of the passengers on an earlier service has blocked the toilet with what can only be described as a truly monumental turd and the this facility is locked out of use on your service. Please make provision to use the station facilities before boarding.

I'd pay an extra £1 per service to hear announcements like this. beautiful

 

[Bletchleyite]

No ....

JourneyCheck is fairly decent and was trailblazing at the time when easyJet was just shouting about the late arrival of the inbound aircraft. But it's 2017, and the game has been upped...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Actually the important thing is to have a single data pipeline that is then distributed to all of the displays whether text, mobile app, station display or staff information tools.

So there is only one "truth" about the situation, with perhaps extra information for staff on internal details.

Yes, I think this is the crux of it. Same with sleasyJet. You can get to it from your phone or the website. With the railway it could also be put on the PIS. Staff could be issued with mobile devices with an app for quick reporting of defects and issues, and passenger reports could be fed in as well. Train formations could be reported precisely, and loadings (expected and actual) fed in as well.

Knowledge is power, to use a cliche.