Member Article

Tech companies call for a digital solution to rail delays

British trains are operating with the worst delays since 2006, according to official figures released today. Weather issues such as unexpected snow and a new timetable system has meant that meant 14% of trains missed the industry’s Public Performance Measure (PPM) of punctuality in the 12 months to 18 August, a report published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) disclosed.

The last time the rail industry saw such a poor performance was February 2006, when it was at 14.2%. This year in February and March, the ‘Beast from the East’ snowstorm disabled much of the network due to severe winds. There was further chaos from 20 May when new timetables were introduced, causing major disruption in the north and southeast of England for several weeks after.

Rail experts called for better use of data and IT to improve services for the long-term. Adam Perry, director at Resonate Group, the connected transport provider, said: “It’s been a challenging year for train operators, with adverse weather conditions and timetable changes making it harder to deliver the high standards of service that the public expect.

“However, it is important to note that the rail industry is working hard to improve services, with a number of digital initiatives already underway to improve performance and management of train services. This includes capturing digital data around passenger numbers, delays, cancellations to drive improvements and give operators real-time visibility into the state of the network.

“Moving forward, it’s vital that operators continue to invest in the latest Traffic Management technologies to improve passenger experiences, with analytics and AI playing a critical role in creating the world class rail service the UK deserves”, concluded Perry.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nick Till .