Our revolutionary Dynamic Route Map helped transform how Southeastern Railway delivers its customer updates. The dynamic online platform provides real-time information to help rail companies better meet the demands of today’s fast-paced rail industry.
The challenge
Southeastern Railway recognised the limitations of their existing customer information system, which required staff in the control room to manually relay rail updates to their customers. This posed challenges both in meeting customer expectations and accuracy of information.
To tackle this, they sought a rail technology solution that would better meet customer expectations by providing instant updates across multiple channels – a system that could deliver accurate updates across their website, station information systems, screens, announcements, social media, and app. The goal was to find a responsive, mobile-friendly solution that presented information in a digestible and personalised format.
The solution
The answer to the challenge was found in Dynamic Route Map, a dynamic, mobile-responsive, and automated system which can connect to the national real-time database, Darwin. In contrast to the manual-driven Rainbow Board system they were previously using, the Dynamic Route Map significantly reduced manual interventions, providing accessibility from anywhere, while ensuring prompt and accurate service updates.
In addition, the Dynamic Route Map offers passengers the convenience of using the calendar to predict how their travel time will be affected by scheduled engineering works. It also provides a clear and easy-to-understand visualisation of the expected impact. Moreover, during significant disruptions, the system can display alternative bus routes and indicate whether ticket acceptance has been coordinated with bus operators.
The result
The Dynamic Route Map’s visual representation of disruptions, which uses color-coded lines to indicate disruption levels, was well received by both its customers and internal stakeholders. This graphical approach improved communication, allowing Southeastern to share screenshots during disruptions, as well as helping with customer understanding. It also played a pivotal role in them receiving a National Rail Award for ‘Customer Service Excellence’, which they won alongside two of their suppliers.
The success of the Dynamic Route Map underscores the collaborative effort between Southeastern and Velociti Solutions. Southeastern Rail valued the open two-way process, acknowledging that the continuous feedback loop resulted in a final product that exceeded initial expectations, as testified below:
“Whilst we have some of the initial ideas (the proof of concept), the team has been brilliant about coming forward and suggesting alternatives or slightly better ways of doing it.
“So, I’ll be honest, if the product had been built purely against our outline requirements, it would be nowhere near as good as it is today. It’s been a real team effort and that’s really been appreciated.” John Till, Head of Information Delivery at Southeastern Railway
For more information, read the full Southeastern case study.
