Southeastern has become the first train operator in the UK to automatically communicate planned timetable changes to passengers at stations on a service-by-service basis, following a major £260k upgrade to its Customer Information System.
The upgrade means customers will now see exactly what’s different about their journey, such as whether their train is earlier, later or cancelled, through tailored messages on screens and station announcements.
Previously, producing this level of detail required extensive manual work and was typically limited to services changing by two minutes or more. The upgraded system automates the entire process, eliminating the risk of updates being missed and reducing the time taken from days to seconds.
As a result of the investment, timetable changes are automatically compared and assessed, with clear messages generated for every revised service explaining what has changed. Supporting station-by-station reports are also produced simultaneously, helping teams respond quickly to customer questions.
John Till, Head of Information Delivery at Southeastern, said:
"When timetables change, it's vital that customers can clearly see what's different about their train. In the past, creating personalised announcements and display messages for every affected service took a huge amount of manual effort, with an inevitable risk of things being missed.
"We can now do this automatically, quickly and consistently, not just for Southeastern, but in a way that can benefit customers across the rail network. It's a genuine step-change in how timetable information is delivered and is in line with our mantra of “if we know, you know.”
During disruption the system can now also import new or temporary timetables automatically, ensuring customers receive accurate information as quickly as possible when things go wrong such as severe weather or short-notice alterations.
The timetable upgrade is part of a broader overhaul of Southeastern's customer information systems. Delayed service explanations are now clearer and cancellations identified faster, while platform guidance has been improved to prevent passengers waiting at the wrong end of the platform. Screens now display a prompt two minutes before arrival directing customers to move.
At origin stations, displays now show an incoming train's live location and expected arrival time. Where live data feeds fail, displays will hold the last known forecast rather than reverting to a generic 'Delayed' message.
These changes have been delivered alongside upgrades to Southeastern’ Customer Information System, supplied by Worldline, which manages station screens, announcements and enables information to be provided across other digital channels.
The system is now live across the Southeastern network and will be automatically made available to all other train operators using the Worldline CIS , with the potential to improve passenger information across the wider rail industry.
