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Having planned his journey online, David doesn’t
have to rush to the station to buy his ticket.
A station is more than just a transport hub. It’s a centre of commercial and retail activity that should be carefully developed to deliver the best combination of service and operational efficiency, adding value to the surrounding area and linking mass transport with individual travel.
How are parking and other modes integrated? What facilities or retail outlets surround it? Is there the correct balance of retail space and customer zones? Can travellers move quickly through the station to reduce total travel time to
a minimum?
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Station Management
New systems are helping to manage a limited capacity infrastructure, using analysis and real-time information to support better decision making and allow management to respond proactively to changing customer requirements. Station management is supported by intelligent CCTV which can identify areas of congestion as well as security issues, such as suspicious behaviour and unattended packages.
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David enters the station
The modern station environment is increasingly embedded with connected technology. Self-service kiosks reduce the load on staff by providing easy access to information and tickets. Staff also have handheld devices to enable them to deliver information and tickets throughout the station, which reduces queuing. And help is available beyond the station with the ability to make enquiries and book tickets via mobile phone, with the ticket sent to the handset.
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The future
In the future, rail travel could become similar to air travel with baggage scanning, check-in and executive lounges for business travellers. Loyalty schemes will become widespread and, by understanding the behaviour of various customer groups, it will be possible to model the travel experience accordingly. Advances in technology will remove much of the frustration associated with travel and make it easier for operators to develop customer relationships that will deliver more profitable business.
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The onward journey
Why should the station experience end as soon as the train journey begins? On-train entertainment services may include web, email, VoIP access, films, shopping, location tracking and onward-travel booking. Studying the timetable,David is reassured that he can arrange for his elderly mother to be assisted at the station when she travels to visit him next week. As the train moves between WiFi/WiMAX hotspots it can pick up Internet access for almost continuous availability.
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