Smarter station information: building confidence into the customer journey
Customers increasingly judge a station – and its operator – by the quality of the information they receive during disruption or as part of their everyday commute.
Up-to-date, accurate information gives people greater confidence in their journey and builds trust in the wider service. Achieving that depends on far more than what appears on a screen or comes over a station announcement.
Beyond the Screen: The Foundation of Confidence
Behind the scenes, customer information technology needs to help operational teams respond quickly, adapt to changing conditions and provide clear, relevant information when it’s needed most.
From Generic Messaging to Targeted Communications
Working with operators including Southeastern, Magellan is helping move station information beyond generic messaging towards more targeted communications that explain not only what is happening, but what it means for an individual journey.
Automation also has an important role to play in reducing repetitive manual processes in the background, leaving operational teams free to respond to incidents and support customers when resilience is needed, rather than spending time updating systems.
Expert Knowledge, Localised Solutions
Adam Snodgrass, Customer Information Systems (CIS) Product Owner at Magellan, says: “Magellan has many years of experience across UK rail, including retail and operations. Our CIS team has extensive knowledge of industry data sources, helping our customers, including Network Rail and train operating companies, make the best use of the information available.
“We work closely with customers and suppliers to design, test and implement improvements to passenger information, both at stations and before customers arrive. Our solutions also consider the different needs of stations, whether they serve commuters, long-distance customers or rural communities.”
Delivering Certainty During Disruption
In practice, that can mean something as simple as giving customers better information about an incoming train or ensuring messages are targeted to the people who actually need to hear them. During disruption, it’s about helping operators communicate changes earlier and more consistently, giving customers more time to understand their options and decide what to do next.
Good station information isn’t measured by the number of announcements made or screens updated, but on whether customers have enough confidence in the information to make informed decisions. That means providing trustworthy, easy-to-understand information in real time, while giving operational teams the tools to communicate consistently when circumstances change.
Collaboration and the Connected Ecosystem
Close collaboration with operators is key. Combining their day-to-day operational knowledge with Magellan’s technical expertise allows ideas to be developed and tested around real passenger needs, rather than technology being developed in isolation.
The customer information of the future is evolving far beyond departure boards and announcements. The opportunity exists to create a more connected information ecosystem that supports people before they arrive at the station, while they are there and throughout the rest of their journey.