Information Development Group

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Information Development Group Delivering the Industry’s Vision for Passenger Information

Information Development Group

Good Practice Guides for Customer Information

“As an industry we will provide timely, relevant, accurate and consistent information – easily understandable and accessible wherever, whenever and however required – so that all customers can make informed choices about their travel plans or assist others to do so.”

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Information Development Group Delivering the Industry’s Vision for Customer Information

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Document Control

Version Author Date

1.0 Jason Durk 25/09/2007 1.1 Jason Durk 07/03/2008 1.2 David Whittle 24/09/2008 2.0 Jason Durk 30/06/2009 2.1 Kathryn Daniels 30/11/2010 2.2 Kathryn Daniels 30/09/2011 3.0 Kathryn Daniels 26/11/2013

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High quality information is key to driving up passenger confidence in using rail transport. Several research studies have highlighted the increasing need for up-to-date information to be available consistently at all times and across all channels of communication – during normal service, when there are changes to the advertised timetable and during disruption.

To make sure the industry had focus on improving information provision, the Passenger Information Strategy Group (PISG) was formed. Following creation of a licence obligation for Passenger Information by the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR), PISG was disbanded.

In 2013, the Information Development Group (IDG) was formed to work with the Customer Information Strategy Delivery Board to realise the benefits of the Core projects.

Information Development Group

The Information Development Group is a practitioner group reviewing how TOCs and 3rd Parties (e.g. PTE’s) propose to leverage the “Core” services delivered by the Customer Information Strategy projects, under the guidance of to the Customer Information Strategy Delivery Board. The group also serves to identify customers’ requirements and is responsible for the maintenance and development of the industry’s Good Practice Guides for Customer Information as well as for tracking their use.

Aims and Objectives of the Group

 To gain agreement from the Customer Information Strategy Delivery Board that projects are aligned with the Customer Information Strategy in order to apply for funding (from funding bodies such as NSIP) to deliver the projects – either locally by TOC or for national improvements

 To facilitate Customer Focus Groups on hot topics to understand customers’ requirements

 To explore initiatives in all areas of information with a view to developing front end improvements in providing information to customers in alignment with the Customer Information Strategy

 To keep up-to-date the Good Practice Guides for providing information to Customers and seek agreement from the Customer Information Strategy Delivery Board

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Impact

Over the past few years, various information groups have contributed to a year on year improvement in the NPS results. The graph below shows the improvement through the Autumn waves of the survey. In 2008 additional questions were introduced to the NPS survey examining, information provision during delays.

What is Customer Information?

Customer information encompasses all aspects of the journey from planning in advance to the arrival at the intended destination. This can be broken down into the following categories:

Journey information

 who to contact for any pre and post journey care

 how to get to or from the railway station including by public transport

 station information

 timetable information

 the correct fare for the journey

 whether there are any promotions available

 what facilities are available on board each train

 changes to train times – special events / engineering work etc. Real time information

 how trains are running in real time Information during disruption

 what options are available to them when there is disruption to a train or trains that they planned to catch

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This Good Practice Guide is formed of the following key sections:

 Principles of Information Provision

 Good Practice Guide

o Information off Station o Information on Station o Information on Train

 Glossary of Terms

 Summary of Actions

Throughout the guide, there are a number of specific items, designated as good practice, which are classed as recommended or supplementary. As good practice continually evolves, the industry will work towards compliance with these items, taking into account new technologies and future developments.

Recommended items are underlined in red and are numbered with an Arabic numeral. All TOCs agree, subject to any explicit restriction in their Franchise or Concession Agreement, to implement all recommended items or develop a plan for achieving full compliance with these items.

Supplementary items are underlined in blue and are numbered with a Roman numeral. All TOCs agree, subject to any explicit restriction in their Franchise or Concession Agreement, to consider implementing all supplementary items or developing a plan for achieving full compliance with these items.

Keeping good practice up-to-date

Key to keeping good practice up-to-date is understanding passengers’ priorities and their changing requirements in how they receive and perceive information. To make sure that good practice reflects this, IDG continues to facilitate focus groups with passengers to understand what these requirements are.

After severe disruptive events the IDG holds Severe Incident Reviews (SIR). The objective of the reviews is to ascertain how well the Industry performed against current good practice and to identify any further opportunities for identification of good practice. Accordingly, the output of each SIR consists of a list of recommendations for IDG ratification. The outcome of which is written into the Good Practice Guides to improve information provision in the future.

Review process

The Good Practice Guides are reviewed at least every 12 months and updated accordingly. These Good Practice Guides were reviewed and signed off by the Information Development Group in September 2013.

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1.0 Principles of Information Provision

All information needs to be made available to passengers across all media, which includes:

Information off Station

 Websites and e-Services

 Contact Centres

 Travel Alerts

 Recorded information telephone lines

Information on Station

 Pocket Timetables

 Posters / Signs

 Station Information Screens

 Electronic Display Screens (EDS)

 Announcements

 Help Points

 Ticket Office / Travel Centre staff

 Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs)

Information on Train

 Posters / Signs

 Announcements

 Passenger Information System (PIS)

1.1 Journey Planning Principles

All journey planners should be compliant with all the journey planning principles in this section1_.

Station information

Station names and station name aliases should conform with those obtained from a Rail Settlement Plan (RSP) Approved Source.

Timetable information

Journey Planning queries should return train times consistent with the Integrated Train Planning System (ITPS) Publication Timetable layer.

Interchange data

The correct origin station departure time and date, destination station arrival time and date, and the arrival and departure times and dates at any station where interchange is required, should be shown for each journey opportunity identified for the passenger.

Intra-station, inter-station and inter-TOC interchange times should conform with those obtained from an RSP Approved Source.

Interchange preferences (e.g. via, avoid) should be correctly reflected in the query results.

Single journey

Where the passenger selects a single journey, options for the return journey leg should not be available for selection.

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Overtaken journey

Journey planning systems could show “overtaken” journey opportunities, in addition to the fastest. Where options for the display of such journey opportunities are provided they should be clear to the passenger.

Return journey

For a return journey, journey opportunities for both the outward and return legs should be shown, unless the user has selected an “Anytime Return” option.

Journey preferences

A “quickest” or “fastest” journey query could be capable of reporting all journey opportunities, within a user defined departure or arrival time band, which:

 are not overtaken and

 are valid for at least one walk-up, standard class fare.

If a journey planning system is unable to check fare availability and validity, this limitation should be clearly indicated to the user.

A “cheapest” journey query could be capable of reporting all journey opportunities, within a user defined departure or arrival time band, which are valid for the cheapest “walk-up” (taking into account the time of the day) and, where available, the cheapest advance purchase fares. If advance purchase quota controlled fares are reported, the system should either:

 confirm availability for a journey opportunity by interrogation of the reservation system

or

 indicate that the availability of such fares is limited and subject to change. The correct fare for the journey

Fares information should conform with the fares data obtained an RSP Approved Source unless otherwise approved by RSP.

Range of public fares

Journey planners should offer the full range of “public walk-up” single, return and zonal fares when identifying the valid fares for a journey opportunity.

Quota controlled fares

Advance purchase quota controlled, as well as walk-up single and return fares, for a journey opportunity may be shown. If such fares are shown the system should confirm availability for a journey opportunity by interrogation of the National Reservation System (NRS)i_.

If advance purchase fares are not shown, or the range is limited to the fares valid on some, but not all of the TOC’s trains, such limitations could be clearly indicated to the userii_.

Season tickets

Season ticket, as well as single, return and zonal, fares for a journey opportunity may be shown. Where season tickets are shown, prices for monthly and longer period season tickets should be calculated in accordance with the formula advised by an RSP Approved Source (this does not restrict the ability of the TOC to offer discounts to their TOC-only season tickets). If season ticket fares are not shown, or the range is limited to the fares valid on some, but not all of the TOC’s trains, such limitations could be clearly indicated to the user.

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Fare restrictions

The following should be taken into account when determining the validity of a fare for a journey opportunity:

 any TOC restrictions

 any restrictions limiting use of the fare to particular station zones

 any time of day, day of week or specific train restrictions

 any specific restrictions applicable to holders or beneficiaries of particular “railcards” or other discount schemes

 any need for reservations

 number of passengers and their status

 any fares routeing restrictions

 for a return journey, restrictions applicable to both the outward and return legs.

Fare validity

Fares that are not valid for a particular journey opportunity should either not be shown at all or, if they are shown, clearly indicated as “not valid” with the reason.

Fare changes

Prices for travel after a planned fares change should be applied in accordance with the rules notified by RSP.

Temporary fares

Details of restrictions limiting the sale of Temporary Fares to particular locations or types of locations (such as internet sites or telephone sales offices) may be shown. If a journey planning system is unable to show temporary fares this limitation should be clearly indicated to the passenger.

Two singles instead of return

A journey planning system may optionally offer 2 singles instead of a return where this is a cheaper option.

Journey planners should display the current timetable sourced from Darwin2_.

Journey planners should provide real time train running information that is consistent with Darwin3_.

1.2 Changes to Train Times

Informed Traveller Process

All TOCs should advertise their train services - including bus substitution, diversions and amended timetables - 10 weeks in advance (subject to notification of train and engineering work plans by Network Rail being provided in line with the Informed Traveller Process)4_. The industry standard is that seat reservations can be made 9 weeks in advance.

Bus substitution

Sufficient numbers of staff could be made available to direct people to the right service, answer questions, control crowds and assist with luggage where passengers are interchanging between bus and train and vice versaiii_.

An estimate of the number of people expected to travel could be made based on historical loadings and sufficient buses ordered in accordance with that estimateiv_.

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Standards should be drawn up for the bus operator to work to – these could include standards of appearance and behaviour of staff5_{. The words ‘Rail Replacement’ should be} advertised on buses and should display window labels detailing the destination, stopping points and the name of the TOC by which it has been hired6_.

Timings for rail replacement buses should be input into Darwin7_.

TOCs should have documented procedures detailing how information will flow between bus operators, CIS controllers and station staff regarding the real time running of buses, e.g. last minute traffic diversions or road congestion8_.

After major engineering work, a TOC representative could meet with the bus contractor to discuss what has gone well and what lessons need to be learned to improve the servicev_.

Please also see ATOC managing the risk of passengers and staff - ref: tosggpg002

Stations with low passenger demand or poor access for buses

Where a TOC has a station with poor accessibility or low passenger demand, it may be more cost effective to book alternative transport. In such circumstances, information about these arrangements, including where to wait, should be displayed prominently at the station, available on TOC websites and passed to the National Rail Communication Centre (NRCC)9_. With very low footfall stations, where the cost of having alternative transport “standing by” would be disproportionate, it may be appropriate to ask passengers to use the Help Point or contact customer services to alert the TOC that alternative transport is required10_{. In these} circumstances information about what passengers should do, including a back up telephone number in the event that a Help Point is not working, should be displayed prominently at the station, available on TOC websites and passed to the NRCC11_.

Where there are stations with no road access and it is impossible to provide alternative transport, or where a TOC has formal dispensation from its franchise obligation to provide replacement transport in the event of engineering work, advice that no service will be provided from that station between dates x and y should be displayed a minimum of 5 days in advance prominently at the station, available on TOC websites and passed to the NRCC12_. Where those changes are major and prolonged, information about the changes and the reason should be displayed 4 weeks in advance at the stations affected13_.

1.3 Information During Disruption

When there is disruption, information and the way in which it is presented, and how often updates are provided to passengers has to be consistent.

Initial Holding Message

An initial holding message should be sent within 10 minutes of the Control office receiving advice of the incident stating that the Control is in the process of determining travel advice14_.

Core Message

Controllers should create and disseminate a Core Message whenever the train operator declares CSL2 arrangements are being implemented15_{. The Core Message should convey} the problem, the impact and the advice to passengers which will allow them to make choices regarding their travel plans16_.

The Problem

The industry should ensure that the reason given is consistent with all operators involved17_. For example, a broken rail at location xyz should not be described as “Emergency Engineering Work” by TOC A and “Emergency Track Repairs” by TOC B.

The focus should be on the route affected, not the location18_{. For example, Balcombe is on} the route between Haywards Heath and Brighton. If Balcombe was the location of a

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disruption, rather than say “Trains on all routes via Balcombe” say “Trains between Haywards Heath and Brighton are being disrupted due to an [incident] at Balcombe”. Route locations which are likely to be familiar to the greatest number of passengers should be used.

The message should make clear whether trains in both directions, or in one direction only are affected19_.

The Impact

An estimate of likely delay should always be included, even if this is a preliminary estimate20_{. All estimates should be reviewed for accuracy each time the message is} updated21_.

When an estimate of likely delays categorically cannot be given it should be made clear that an estimate will be provided as soon as possible22_.

Where multiple service groups are affected by the same disruption, the impact on each service group (if different) should be shown23_.

If some service groups are unaffected by the disruption this should be included24_.

If a reduced service is running, the message should state what is running25_{, e.g. “A reduced} service is running between London Euston and Manchester, trains at 15 and 25 minutes past each hour from London to Manchester and at 11 and 55 minutes past each hour from Manchester to London will run”.

Where an amended timetable is in place, basic principles of the timetable should be contained within the Core Message26_{. For more detailed information (such as intermediate} calling points and times), recipients should be directed to where they can obtain this level of detail (for example, National Rail Enquiries, the TOC website or the staffed station information point)27_.

When listing departure times in a Core Message, the use of “xx” in front of timings should be avoided (e.g. “xx:20” could be replaced by “20 minutes past the hour”)28_.

The Advice

The Advice should include details of alternative routes where these are available29_{. For} example, if an incident affects trains between London Kings Cross and Cambridge then the London Liverpool Street to Cambridge route may be given as an alternative.

Actions that passengers will need to take to complete their journeys should be clearly stated30_{. For example, a requirement to change at any location for onward travel by} train/rail replacement bus service.

If the advice to passengers is to use a different operator’s trains and / or a different station then the advice needs to be explicit as to whether or not tickets will be valid on the route; the phrase “valid” should be used rather than “accepted” or “passed” and the message should state whether there are any restrictions or other specific advice31_.

If no alternative arrangements are possible (for example a line is blocked and there is no diversionary route and alternative transport cannot be provided) this should be clearly stated32_.

The Core Message should be sent as soon as possible and reviewed at least every 20 minutes with a current situation update33_{. The information within the Core Message will} form the basis of all onward communications to staff and passengers and therefore promote consistency.

An example of a simple core message for Cross Country may read:- Problem Flooding at Oxford and Cheltenham

Impact No Cross Country services will run south of Birmingham or south of Cheltenham for the remainder of the day.

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Advice Passengers will be accepted on South West Trains / Virgin Trains / Chiltern Railway & London Midland.

Consistent information from Control

To ensure that information is consistent, all TOCs should ensure that they report all of the following:  Train cancellations34  Train delays35  Diversions to trains36  Additional stops37  Cancelled stops38

Failure to report individual train amendments into Darwin, the National Real Time Database which feeds many downstream systems – departure boards / websites / alerts / apps etc., will not contain accurate real time train running information.

To ensure that passengers also have information regarding the reason for the disruption to their service, the TOCs should ensure that the appropriate agreed reason is used39_{. See} Appendix A for the agreed reasons.

Relevant information from Control

To make sure that messages sent by TOCs are sent to the correct recipients, TOCs should undertake a review of their address books at least annually40_{. This should include deletion} of out of date addresses as well as the inclusion of new addresses where required. Each TOC should have a process for inclusion of new addresses as they are required41_.

Shared Locations

At large stations, where two or more TOCs are present, key staff (for example: senior Network Rail and TOC Station Managers) should have the facility to share a central location from which to work and share information42_.

1.4 Disruption Policies

Passengers need consistent information – and this should be reinforced when the route they were expecting to travel on is experiencing disruption.

To achieve a consistent approach, TOCs should adopt three policies:

 Ticket Acceptance Policy

 Cheapest Ticket Policy

 Do Not Travel Policy Ticket Acceptance Policy

All TOCs should have a written Ticket Acceptance Policy43_{for implementation during} disruption, in accordance with the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) Section 10.2 (1)(b)

“If any event occurs which is capable of affecting two or more trains of an Operator and is likely to result in passengers who are using or wish to use those trains being delayed by more than an hour, every other Operator should use its reasonable endeavours to enable the passenger to complete his journey on its trains at no extra charge.”

Note: 10.2 (2), exception, states:

“The obligation in sub-Clause (1)(b) above only applies if the affected Operator could not reasonably have been expected to make alternative arrangements to prevent the

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passengers referred to in that sub-Clause being delayed by more than an hour, having regard to the length of any notice it had of the event which affected its train(s).”

A period of amnesty should be included44_{to make sure that passengers who have been} rerouted due to disruption earlier in the day are not penalised on their return journey when the disruption has ended. An example of this would be:

Passenger holds a ticket from Banbury to Marylebone but is advised- as an option - to drive to Oxford and catch the train into Paddington. On returning later the same day, the passenger has to go back to Oxford to collect their car, but is charged a single ticket because the ticket they hold is not valid.

This should be agreed and communicated within 20 minutes of the initial notification45_. The criteria under which Ticket Acceptance should be invoked are as follows:

Tickets should be accepted by other TOCs on alternative routes46_{to enable passengers to} complete their journeys when the TOC they are travelling with is experiencing disruption which triggers the Advanced Customer Service threshold (Customer Service Level 2 (CSL2)) – the thresholds for CSL2 are determined by the Passenger Information during Disruption Approved Code of Practice.

Passengers inconvenienced by the disruption should suffer as little additional hindrance as possible. The accepting TOC should treat rerouted passengers as if they were their own; however the impact on their own passengers should be minimised.

Seat reservations of passengers already booked on the accepting TOC’s train could be honoured, but the accepting TOC should make every effort to find seats for rerouted passengers47_.

If Standard accommodation is severely overcrowded, consideration could be given to declassifying some or all of the First Class accommodationvi_.

Rerouted First Class ticket holders, irrespective of the type of ticket held, are entitled to travel First Class on the accepting TOC’s train48_{. Where possible, rerouted First Class ticket} holders could receive the same level of onboard service as any other First Class ticket holdervii_.

Disrupted trains

It is imperative that passengers who have tickets on a train that experiences disruption should not pay more than they would have done had their original journey not been disrupted49_.

Ticket acceptance policies should ensure that a passenger making a multi leg journey can have their ticket endorsed: “DISRUPTED on [train’s headcode and TOC Code]”50_{. They} should then be accepted on the next available service(s) if their intended connection(s) have been broken including the waiving of restrictions on all ticket types51_{. In the event that} a passenger has not had their ticket endorsed, staff should be empowered to use their discretion52_.

An example of this would be:

Passenger holds an Advance ticket from Portsmouth to Scarborough via London. The South West Trains’ service is disrupted and causes the passenger to miss their booked connection at King’s Cross. In this instance, the SWT guard endorses the ticket “DISRUPTED 1P52 SW”. The passenger arrives at King’s Cross to find that the train they were booked on has already left. The receiving TOC – in this case East Coast – accepts the passenger on the next train out of King’s Cross at no additional charge to the passenger.

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Alternative routes

All TOCs should develop a comprehensive list of alternatives as per the ‘ATOC Code of Practice for Customer Information53_{CACOP014v1, 10.1 Passenger Information} Communications Plans’ for each station where they are the Station Facilities Owner (SFO) - or the Access Beneficiary - where the SFO does not run any trains. This will ensure that when disruption occurs, the accepted routes for passengers to take are already known and agreed.

In such cases where disruption occurs and no advice is given to the NRCC that Ticket Acceptance has been agreed, the NRCC will seek clarification – once the disruption has triggered the required parameters – from the affected TOC or TOCs that Ticket Acceptance is in operation.

For example:

Route affected

From To Via Accepting TOC Reasonable routes

Sheffield Sheffield area First TransPennine Express, Northern, CrossCountry

London Sheffield Doncaster East Coast London Kings Cross – Doncaster – Sheffield Chesterfield

/Derby

Tamworth Virgin Trains,

CrossCountry, London Midland London Euston – Birmingham New Street – Chesterfield Nottingham Grantham East Coast London Kings

Cross – Grantham – Nottingham Leicester Peterborough or

Nuneaton Virgin Trains, East Coast London Kings Cross – Peterborough – Leicester & London Euston – Nuneaton – Leicester Luton /

Bedford First Capital Connect London St Pancras – Luton / Bedford All TOCs should share their list of alternatives with neighbouring TOCs and the NRCC54_. All TOCs should have maps showing alternative route options available for staff and passengers55_.

TOCs could consider agreeing in advance a process for granting automatic ticket acceptance. If this is agreed, ticket acceptance will be granted automatically on pre-determined routes as soon as a CSL2 Core Message is sent from Control or a notification of service disruption appears on National Rail Enquiries. This automatic ticket acceptance could be provided for a period of at least 90 minutes

For disruption in excess of 90 minutes or where automatic ticket acceptance is not in place, the disrupted TOCs Control will arrange for the acceptance of their passengers

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The disrupted TOC’s Control Manager should arrange for the acceptance of their passengers56_{- with tickets routed via the affected route - with the intended receiving TOCs’} Control office(s). The only circumstance that an accepting TOC may refuse to convey these additional passengers is if they are experiencing disruption which has triggered CSL2 on their services on the route expected to be used as an alternative or where there are safety concerns.

During the period that Ticket Acceptance is in place, ticket restrictions should be lifted on the routes affected - all ticket types should be included in this57_{- including Advance} Purchase, complimentary and TOC-only tickets. TOCs may choose not to lift their own ticket restrictions at times when capacity is reduced.

Communication on the day

Unless automatic ticket acceptance is in place, a message invoking Ticket Acceptance a message invoking Ticket Acceptance should be sent via the normal recognised channels58_- pager, SMS, email etc. Updates should be issued throughout the day so that all shifts are aware59_{. Passengers have to be advised of their travel options and any alternatives} available to them as soon as possible using the Core Message, below:

Problem Flooding at Oxford and Cheltenham

Impact No CrossCountry services will operate south of Birmingham or south of Cheltenham for the remainder of the day

Advice Passengers with CrossCountry tickets will be accepted on South West Trains / Virgin Trains / Chiltern Railways & London Midland.

Ticket issuing during the period of disruption

Tickets should not be sold when there is disruption without the passenger being informed that their journey is likely to be disrupted60_{. It is therefore required that:}

 The ticket office clerk informs the passenger at the point of sale

 Ticket Vending Machines carry a relevant message

 Reservations are not made on trains that are expected to be disrupted

 Website and telesales outlets warn passengers of likely disruption to their journey61

Period of Amnesty

Tickets should be accepted throughout the day in order to allow passengers to make their return journeys62_{– as some passengers may have parked their car at a different station in} order to avoid the disruption and disruption has ended. An example of this would be:

Passenger holds a ticket from Banbury to Marylebone but is advised - as an option - to drive to Oxford and catch the train into Paddington. On returning later the same day, the passenger should not be charged when they return to Oxford.

If the customer is returning on a different day to that when the disruption occurred, TOC staff should check with their Control whether tickets were being accepted and endorse the back of the passenger’s ticket63_.

Cheapest Ticket Policy

All TOCs should agree a Cheapest Ticket Policy64_{for implementation on the first day of the} disruption. This will ensure that passengers do not have to pay a higher ticket price for their ticket on the day of travel because of disruption to the service they would have caught. An example of this would be:

Passenger wishes to travel from Brockenhurst to Derby, route Not London the fare for which is £66.60. However, there is no Not London option due to a suspension of Cross Country services, and therefore they are sent via London at a cost of £80.00.

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When Ticket Acceptance is in operation if a passenger indicates that they intended to travel on the disrupted route where a cheaper fare applies then the cheaper fare should apply even though they’re travelling on a non-disrupted route therefore it is imperative that passengers who have not already purchased tickets for the closed route should not pay more than they would have done had their original route been available65_{. The} cheaper-routed ticket should be sold and endorsed “REROUTED via [new route]”66_.

An example of this would be:

Passenger has enquired about a journey Brockenhurst to Derby route Not London and has been quoted £66.60. However, when they wish to travel there is no Not London option due to a suspension of CrossCountry services. The via London ticket costs £80.00. However, the ticket issued is the Not London routed ticket. The passenger is charged £66.60 and told to travel via London. The ticket office clerk then endorses the ticket with “REROUTED via London”.

If a passenger does incur additional cost for a journey - such as paying for cross London travel or being charged an excess fare - this additional cost should be refunded by the disrupted TOC67_.

If a passenger wishes to make their return journey on the more expensive route when disruption is no longer occurring then normal excess fares policies should apply.

Do Not Travel Policy

All TOCs should have a Do Not Travel Policy and a process setting out when it will be implemented68_{. The policy will be set depending on the TOC’s business requirements, but it} should provide for Do Not Travel advice to be issued when all trains between two points are suspended; no trains are expected to run for four hours or more; and there is no reasonable alternative route / replacement transport available69_.

Even when Do Not Travel advice has been issued, a TOC should make reasonable endeavours to assist passengers already at stations or who have started their journey70_. Any passenger that does not travel should receive a full refund with no administration charge71_{. Any passenger that commences their journey after do not travel advice has been} issued may not be entitled to any compensation for the delay and this could be communicated on the day.

Communicating do not travel advice

To ensure a consistent approach across all train companies, all TOCs will use the Core Message to formulate the wording for the communication of the do not travel advice, as below:

Problem Flooding at Oxford and Cheltenham

Impact No CrossCountry services will operate south of Birmingham or south of Cheltenham for the remainder of the day

Advice Passengers are advised do not travel

Pre-communication of the Policies

All TOCs and Network Rail should ensure that these policies are communicated to all relevant staff72_{and this communication has to include the following information:}

 The Industry’s Vision for Passenger Information73

 The three principles:

o Ticket Acceptance Policy74 o Cheapest Ticket Policy75 o Do Not Travel Policy76

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 TOC policies on:

o Declassification of First Class77

o Providing service to First Class ticket holders for other TOCs78 o Charter and Refunds79

 Staff behaviours:

o Visibility to passengers80

o On train personnel should walk through the train regularly81

o Station staff should be available on platforms and station concourses82 o Providing regular verbal reassurance83

o Make frequent announcements as per the On Train and On Station Good Practice Guides84

o Proactively checking for information updates85 o Follow the recognised internal procedures86 o Apologising for overcrowding and inconvenience87 o Providing complementary refreshments88

o Refreshments should be offered, where available, when a journey has been delayed in excess of 60 minutes89

Additional Resources

It is recognised that TOCs have a finite number of staff at stations and in Control and that at times of disruption this resource can become extremely stretched. Having a pool of volunteer staff from other functions is an ideal way to supplement the frontline teams as well as generating understanding of other functions’ roles within the industry. TOCs could maintain a list of staff who are willing to assist when necessary, either during work time or out of hours and a briefing process and suitable training package could be in placeviii_.

In addition to staff resources, each TOC could carry out an annual review of the equipment and processes available for the dissemination of information and take steps to address any potential shortfall90_.

Use of Mobile Technology

TOCs could either supply staff with a spare battery or provide access to charged batteries at key locations around the networkix_.

TOCs should carry out annual reviews of the technologies available to them for use by their frontline staff91_{. This is to include a review of the information availability on those platforms} used by each device.

TOCs could carry out an annual review of their mobile phone provider’s coverage to identify blackspots that require risk mitigation measuresx_.

1.5 Station Zoning

Station Facilities Operators should ensure that information is placed in the correct information zone92_.

Welcome Zone

The following information (if available) could be displayed in the welcome zone:

 Welcome poster / sign

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 Ticket office opening hours

 SFO marketing posters

 ATOC marketing posters

 Other TOC marketing posters

 Station name sign

Ticket Zone

The following information (if available) could be displayed in the ticket zone:

 SFO engineering work poster

 Other TOC engineering work poster

 Timetables

 Travelcard / regional zones map

 Fares information

 Delay repay poster



Accessibility map poster



Community Board



Ticket Office info/ payment methods poster

 Secure Stations sign

 Queue Time poster

 ATOC marketing posters

 Route map

 SFO Passenger Charter

 Other TOC Passenger Charter

 Performance update

 National Rail map

 Penalty fare notice

Train Zone

The following information (if available) could be displayed in the train zone:

 SFO engineering work poster

 Other TOC engineering work poster

 Timetables

 Performance update

 Train connections information

 Complaint body information

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 Safety and security posters

 Samaritans poster

Onward Travel Zone

The following information (if available) could be displayed in the onward travel zone:

 Onward travel information poster

 Thank you for travelling poster

 Local attraction information

 Where to board your replacement bus

 PlusBus zone poster

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Information on Station

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2.0 Information off Station

Passengers use a variety of media to gather information about their journey when they’re away from the station, either in ahead of time, or when they’re about to make a journey. This good practice guide has been written to encompass all items of good practice that could be adopted for the passenger’s benefit across the following media:

 Websites and e-Services

 Contact Centres

 Travel Alerts

 Recorded Information Telephone Lines

2.1 Websites and e-Services

Advance journey information

TOCs should make as much information as possible available online to enable passengers to plan their journeys.

Pre and post journey care

TOC websites should contain information about how to make a Passenger Assist booking and have a copy of their Disabled People’s Protection Policy (DPPP)93_.

Details should be given on the following:

 Wheelchairs and powered scooters

 Providing an alternative service

 On-train emergencies

 Replacement road transport

 Getting further information about disabled travel arrangements

 Train accessibility information

 TOC customer service department contact information

 Passenger Focus / London TravelWatch contact information

 Any Rail User Group contact information94

Getting to and / or from the railway station including by public transport

TOCs should highlight sustainable methods of travelling to and from the station95_{, especially} bus / tram, cycle and taxi, as a first priority and place car access and station car parking information as a second priority at stations where sustainable methods offer a good alternative to private transport.

Options to integrate and interchange between train and bus services could be offered and explained including promotion of integrated ticketing systems e.g. PLUSBUS & Park and Ride96_.

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Figure 1

The availability and location of car parking, its cost, how to buy tickets / permits and real-time information on the availability of spaces could be available for main stationsxi_.

Car sharing schemes could be promoted and available with special reserved and / or priority parking spaces for those who car-sharexii_{. For example: Chiltern Railways run a “3 for Free”}

promotion where if 3 rail passengers travel together to a Chiltern-operated station in the same car at any time of the day, there is no charge for parking.

TOC websites should include information about the location of the nearest taxi rank or telephone numbers for local taxi / minicab firms97_.

Station information

TOC websites are required to clearly display information about station facilities to enable passengers to be aware of what is available.

Each TOC website should display the following information as a minimum:

 Ticket office opening hours

 Accessibility information

 TOC Contact Centre details

 Customer Relations98

Station information on websites should be consistent with NRE Knowledgebase99_. Timetable information

TOCs that provide an online Journey Planner should ensure that, as a minimum, it has the following options available to passengers:

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 Configurable ‘via’ option

 Configurable ‘preferred minimum changes’ option

 Number of adults

 Number of children

 Class option

 Fare type – fastest / cheapest

 Railcard option100

Figure 2

Timetable information should also be made available in a line-of-route printable format, either in .pdf files or via a dynamic customer-driven Print Your Own Timetable format101_. Dynamic timetables could include STP and VSTP changesxiii_.

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Websites should have maps showing the national railway network that passengers can use to help plan journeys102_.

Maps should include the outline of the country where it is possible to show on that map103_. National maps should show as many stations as possible without compromising the legibility of the map104_.

Figure 4

Websites could provide regional maps that show the routes operated by train companies within that areaxiv_.

Regional maps should use colour coding to differentiate between TOC routes105_.

Where the area covered includes regional zones (e.g. Transport for London travelcard zones) these could be shown on the mapxv_.

Regional maps could include opportunities to interchange with other transport modes (e.g. metro / underground / buses)xvi_.

Regional maps should show all stations in that area106_.

Regional maps should use symbols to differentiate between small and medium/interchange stations107_.

Where there are a large number of stations on a map, there could be in index with grid references included to allow passengers to find the station they requirexvii_.

Where rail routes continue off the map, an indication of the direction and main destinations should be included (i.e. to London ->)108_.

TOCs that produce a map of their route should show other operators’ services where they overlap in the area covered by the map109_.

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Figure 5

Where changes to train times mean that a journey leg should be completed by bus this should be indicated to the passenger within journey planners110_.

Passengers could not have to view a journey details in order to find that a leg of their journey is by bus111_.

Journey planners should offer the ability to find out supplementary information about the changes to train times – e.g. the cause of the work / detail about its affect on journeys etc.112_.

The correct fare for the journey and whether there are any promotions available

Types of Fares to be shown

All through-ticketed fares should be shown to customers113_{for example:}

 Internet Only fares – Tickets which are only available to purchase online.

 Special promotion fares – Some TOCs offer promotional fares that do not appear in the fares database. These are generally limited by either the duration of the offer or by the fare destination. Additionally, promotions offering “2 for 1” or similar offers should be included.

 Rover and Ranger tickets – Fares allowing travel within defined geographical areas.

 Add-ons and Executive packages– Add-ons such as PLUSBUS, Dining, Car Parking, Rail Links etc. which are part of a through fare.

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 Group discounts – Small groups e.g. GroupSave, TOC-specific discounts for large groups and other Zonal group discount fares e.g. Family Travelcard.

 Supplements – Such as Cycle Reservations, Weekend First and Sleeper reservations which are for use in conjunction with an existing ticket.

 Zonal Fares – For example, London Travelcard and other Zonal fares mainly offered by Passenger Transport Executives.

 Season Tickets – Tickets which have a validity period of between 7 days and one year.

Filter Questions

A series of questions could be asked before any fares are presented, to filter out the display of unnecessary faresxviii_{. This will ensure that the response meets the customer’s}

requirements. These questions will vary, depending on the route, type of tickets available, etc. For example, if PLUSBUS is not available from the origin and/or destination station, the related question need not be asked. For example, “If they are available, would you like to add Executive Services to your ticket, for example Car Parking, an Underground ticket or a Meal Voucher?”

The Journey Planner could calculate any potential savings (versus the Anytime fare) and present these to the customerxix_.

Fares Information Matrix

Fares should be presented in a table114_{, known as the ‘Fares Matrix’ examples of which are} used throughout this guide.

Grouping of Fares

Fares should be grouped to show: Advance; Off-Peak and Anytime115_{to enable customers} to easily decide the most appropriate ticket type for their journey.

They should be shown according to class of travel. Once the appropriate fare has been selected, the full ticket name should be displayed:

 Advance – should be used to group together tickets that should be purchased in

advance of travel

 Off-Peak – should be used to group together tickets that are named “Off-Peak” and

“Super Off-Peak”

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Figure 6

The ability to filter by Anytime / Off-Peak or Advance tickets could be offered to the customerxx_.

Figure 7

Fares Price Range

Only the cheapest available fare in each group should be shown in the fares matrix116_. The range of fares returned will be dependent upon the results of the filter questions. However, once the answers to these questions have been taken in to consideration, the cheapest suitable fare should be shown.

Grouping allows the website to present fares which may be inter-available or route specific. The price shown should be the cheapest fare in that group. For example, within the Anytime group, ticket A. may be £100 with an Any Permitted Route, whilst ticket B. maybe £50 routed via station Y. The cheapest available for the displayed journey should be shown to avoid passengers buying a more expensive ticket than they need.

Class of Travel

Fares presented should be sub-divided into First and Standard Class117_.

This will give customers who ordinarily travel in standard accommodation the opportunity to see both full fare and discounted First Class tickets that may be suitable to them. In the long term, this has the potential to convert customers’ future business into First Class travel, creating additional revenue for the TOC.

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Availability of First Class fares

Where there is no First Class fare set for the journey being requested, the fares matrix should show only Standard Class fares118_{. It should not offer the option to view non-existent} First Class fares or an empty First Class fares matrix.

Availability of First Class Accommodation

If First Class accommodation is not available for the entire journey, the fare matrix should show a symbol to reflect this119_{. This should then be explained further.}

Ticket Availability

Only tickets that are available for purchase at the time of the enquiry should be displayed120_.

The Journey Planner should query with the National Reservations System the availability of each ticket which is valid for the journeys presented. If a fare is unavailable, it should not be displayed. This will reduce the customer’s perception that there are too many fares to choose from.

Journey Match to Fare

Customers should have the ability to find journeys on which a certain fare is valid and available121_.

Below are two examples of Fares Matrices showing return journeys where the ticket selected for outward travel is valid and / or available:

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Figure 9

Cheapest Fare Finder

Websites that offer ‘cheapest fare finder’ functionality should enable the customer to select the cheapest fare for their one way and / or return journey122_.

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Showing Railcard Discounted fares

Railcard discounted tickets should be highlighted123_.

If Railcard discounts are applied to fares shown, the fares matrix should indicate this.

When a Railcard discount is applied the customer should be informed of the savings made by using the Railcard. This should be on the ‘Purchase Ticket Summary’ page.

Example of Fares Details screen showing the breakdown of the Railcard discount.

Figure 11

If no Railcard discount has been applied, it should explain this and give a reason why124_. Suggested Wording: “No Railcard discount – discounts not available until after 10:00”

Order of Price

Available fares should be displayed in ascending order125_{(lowest to highest), according to} the price of the ticket.

Combination of Fares

In line with ATOC’s Retail Standards Guide, clause B.4.3, if a customer requests a journey for which a through-fare is available, the website should display only the through fare to the customer. That is, the website should not suggest that the customer buys a combination of fares126_{(other than where 2 singles are cheaper than a return).}

Ticket Names

Ticket Names should be displayed in the approved format as shown in Appendix C to this document127_.

Presentation of Fares Not in Fares Database

Suggested Wording:

“This ticket is only available if purchased online. To check availability or purchase this ticket, please click here to be transferred to [name of website] website.”

Special Promotions

Where a special promotion is available for a journey requested a link should be provided to the relevant fares for the promotion128_.

Group Travel

Fares for groups should be calculated automatically where a fare exists in the fares database129_{e.g. GroupSave and those where Railcard holders can benefit from discounts for} accompanied passengers.

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Customers requiring tickets for groups of ten or more people could always be directed to the appropriate Train Operating Companyxxi_.

It could always be made clear that to benefit from a Group discount, the group will need to travel together at all timesxxii_.

Supplements

If supplements are available on the journey selected, these could be offered to the customerxxiii_{, for example Weekend First or Cycle Reservation.}

Add-Ons

Fares which are calculated by applying an add-on should be shown as one complete fare130_. A fare which requires an add-on to the base fare should be presented as a through-fare. The calculation involving any add-ons should be performed in the background, and not be visible to the customer.

In addition to travel-related add-ons, some TOCs may offer inclusive car parking tickets or meal vouchers for use on train services. If travel-related add-ons are available they could be offered when a relevant journey is chosenxxiv_.

Reservations

When a customer purchases a ticket which does not include a mandatory reservation, the opportunity to reserve a seat (where available) could be offered131_{. Seat reservations could} not automatically be issued with tickets that do not require a reservation. However, customers could be able to request one if they wish.

If having a seat reservation will result in an additional fee the amount should be made clear to passengers before they commit132_{. To encourage customers to reserve a seat, it may be} appropriate to explain that seat reservations are recommended or compulsory during busy periods such as weekends and bank holidays.

Showing the Route of the Fare

The route by which the ticket is valid should be shown133_. Example of Fares Details Screen showing valid routes for travel:

Figure 12

Accessing Terms and Conditions

It should be easy for the customer to find the terms and conditions relating to each ticket134 displayed in the fares summary screen.

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 Providing a link under the ticket name – “Conditions for the XXX ticket”

 Making the ticket name a hyperlink, displaying the information on a separate page. It should be made clear at the top of the page that this is how you can access this information. The use of pop up windows is discouraged by Web Accessibility groups.

Minimum Requirements

The full terms and conditions as approved by ATOC Commercial Board for Anytime, Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak and Advance tickets should be shown in full and unedited135_.

Other ticket information should include as a minimum, details of:

 How to obtain a refund

 How to change a ticket if their travel plans change

 Whether a break of journey is allowed

 Any booking deadlines

 Whether the ticket is restricted to travel on specific trains only or by time of travel136_.

Is the information Partial or Impartial? Impartial Site

An impartial site should be capable of providing all fares and timetable information for all relevant choices for the journey requested irrespective of the number of TOCs and or routes available137_.

Partial Sites

Where a web site does not provide impartial information it should be clearly described as such, indicating the limitations of the information that is provided there should also be a link to the National Rail web site (www.nationalrail.co.uk) site indicating that impartial information can always be found there138_.

National Rail Accredited Logo

As detailed in the proposed Regulatory Agreement on Fares and Ticketing (RAFT), all retailing websites and telephone sales offices that have been granted accreditation should display the National Rail accreditation mark139_{on the website and in telesales office} publicity. The National Rail accreditation mark means that the operator accurately and impartially sells rail tickets for journeys on the National Rail network.

Figure 13

Facilities on board each train

TOC websites should explain what facilities are available on board their trains140_{, for} example:

 Catering availability

 Quiet coach

 First Class

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 Luggage Storage

 Seat reservations

 No smoking policy

 Bicycle carriage policy

Each TOC should have a bicycle carriage policy that is clearly promoted on TOC websites141

Figure 14

Changes to train times – special events / engineering work etc.

Details of any planned changes to train times should be available on websites at least 10 weeks in advance142_{. This includes special events, engineering work, public holidays and any} other reason for changing the times of the normal service.

All TOCs could create a user-friendly website address to access details of current and future changes to train times in the format www.tocwebsite.com/changestotraintimesxxv_.

Customers can bookmark these pages to be taken straight to the information and the media can publish the website addresses. An example of this would be

www.nationalrail.co.uk/changestotraintimes.

When providing advance notice of engineering work, the information should contain the following:

 Heading containing an overview of what is happening, where and when

 Start and end date / time

 The route and stations affected

 Which TOC(s) are affected

 A detailed description of the impact to passengers

 A map of the affected area with alternative options143

An example of good practice for communicating changes to train times because of engineering work is illustrated below from the National Rail Enquiries website:

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Figure 15

A map could be included in an easy to read format. Further detail on the requirements for maps is included in section 3.2.

Figure 16

Websites should advertise the timings of rail replacement buses with timings for each calling point144_.

Changes to train times should be indicated on TOC / national service indicators on the days affected145_.

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To gain consistency TOCs could take an XML feed of the full Engineering Work section from the National Rail Enquiries websitexxvi_{and may brand and filter the sections relevant to their}

services on their own websites.

Real time information

TOCs should make real time train running information available to their passengers which should be sourced from Darwin146_.

The National Rail Live Departure Boards, and Nexus Alpha JourneyCheck solution both fulfil this criterion.

Figure 17

Information Development Group

Information Development Group

Good Practice Guides for Customer Information

Document Control

Information Development Group

Aims and Objectives of the Group

Impact

What is Customer Information?

Keeping good practice up-to-date

Review process

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Principles of Information Provision

Information off Station

Information on Station

Information on Train

1.1 Journey Planning Principles

1.2 Changes to Train Times

Informed Traveller Process

Bus substitution

Stations with low passenger demand or poor access for buses

1.3 Information During Disruption

Initial Holding Message

Core Message

Consistent information from Control

Shared Locations

1.4 Disruption Policies

Cheapest Ticket Policy

Do Not Travel Policy

Pre-communication of the Policies

Additional Resources

Use of Mobile Technology

1.5 Station Zoning

Welcome Zone

Ticket Zone

Accessibility map poster

Community Board

Ticket Office info/ payment methods poster

Train Zone

Onward Travel Zone

2.0 Information off Station

2.1 Websites and e-Services

Advance journey information

Real time information