Media centre

Tuesday 30 Jul 2019

Kent rail passengers to benefit from £10m project to improve passenger information systems

Region & Route:

Southern

• Passengers across Kent, East Sussex and south east London are benefitting from better journey information following a two-year collaborative effort between Network Rail and train operator Southeastern.

The upgraded passenger information systems were designed by a team of rail industry experts and developed through trials with passenger groups.

The new screens are providing Southeastern passengers with more information in an easier-to-read format. New public address (PA) systems, with higher-quality speakers, amplifiers and microphones have been installed. The technology which supplies the on—screen information and controls the automated announcements have also been upgraded with new software systems.

John Halsall, Southern region managing director, said:

“Feedback from passengers tells us that the difference between a good or bad journey experience can be the quality and usefulness of the service information they receive on platforms and at stations.”

“This investment responds to passenger feedback and is already improving journeys for passengers at hundreds of stations”.

• On Southeastern stations, 397 new screens will benefit passengers at 113 stations.
• 88 station PA systems have been replaced; a total of 3,802 speakers.

With Network Rail busy renewing the hardware of the systems, Southeastern has also specified a number of software upgrades to coincide with the work. These upgrades have included adding:

• Anticipated calling times for every station en-route, which are now displayed on next train indicators;
• The current location of the train;
• At terminals, showing the location of the inward train, including the train’s current location;
• Information about where a train is if it hasn’t yet departed, or it has come from the depot, making this visible at all stations along the route.

David Statham, Managing Director of Southeastern, said:

“We’re always wanting to do more for our passengers and these changes to the way we present information, particularly during periods of disruption, are very visible and well regarded by our passengers, giving them the assurance they need to plan their journeys, especially during periods of disruption.”