Rail tech revolution on track as Great Western Railway trials Whoosh’s real-time journey dashboard for customers

Great Western Railway has embarked on a revolutionary journey with the trial of new software that will allow customers to see real-time train service information.

The four-month trial of the digital platform from rail tech developer Whoosh began at the start of May and allows customers to see real-time journey information for the train they are on as well as real-time rail and travel information for every station in the country.

The digital platform, which is being trialled on board three trains, and also at Patchway and Newton Abbot stations, is accessed by scanning bespoke station and at-seat QR codes.

Customers simply scan a QR code to unlock a wealth of relevant travel information, featuring station info, onward journey planning and Welsh language options.

Whoosh’s recently patented ‘Tell Us’ functionality also enables contextualised fault reporting by passengers and staff onboard.

Whoosh already operates several successful journey information services for other UK transport operators. The tech company teamed up with Network Rail last year to provide personalised information across the UK’s largest stations.

Edmund Caldecott, founder and CEO, Whoosh, said: “We’re incredibly excited for our trial with Great Western Railway, not least because it is our first multilingual version of the real-time journey platform. It allows us to demonstrate the cost-saving opportunities for TOCs while improving passenger communication – and therefore customer satisfaction – too.

“Stations without customer information screens (CIS) are typically unmanaged too, so now customers can simply scan the QR code and get all the CIS information they need, and more besides, at a fraction of the cost to the operator.”

GWR development manager, Mike Preece, said: “We are pleased to collaborate with Whoosh during this trial period and look forward to seeing how travel technology can enhance communication with passengers across our network, helping to keep them informed and engaged throughout their journey.

“We are also excited to see how this trial could lead to innovative revenue opportunities and, most importantly, improved services for our passengers.”

For more information about Whoosh, please visit: https://www.whooshmedia.co.uk/

Photo credit: Great Western Railway

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