National Rail : Consolidating information services

A case study in how a few sensibly-placed links can provide a big boost to customer service.

The Site

Railtrack, the private company that ran the UK’s rail network (but not the services running on it), was criticised for almost everything except its website, which had an exemplary timetable. This site is the replacement, carrying the timetable but also a range of services from online booking to live train running information.

The Takeaway

At last the notoriously disconnected rail operating companies have got their services information act together, and provide a case study in how a few sensibly-placed links can provide a big boost to customer service.

The new online timetable is no better than before – rather less slick in fact – but the great benefit is that valuable services are now brought together in one place. The buying journey takes users from finding the right train to checking availability and buying a ticket online. The live running information has been available for a while, but is now highlighted rather than being buried away on a separate site. The new confidence in the web shows most vigorously in the approach to channel integration. Previously, site users were advised to ring rail enquiries to check on times before leaving; now, any callers get an imprecation to look at the website instead. While it may not make the trains run faster, the new attitude should reduce frustration among customers.

First published on 27 May, 2003