National Rail Enquiries Launches New Automated Telephone Service
28 Jan 2005
National Rail Enquiries has launched a new automated telephone service for rail travellers to complement the existing 08457 484950 service.
The new service, called TrainTracker™, will provide simple, real-time train arrival and departure information for direct train services. TrainTracker™ uses state-of-the-art speech recognition and touch-tone technology. The caller states the stations they are travelling from and to as well as time of day and TrainTracker™ looks up estimated train times and then relays these back to the caller.
Rail travellers are expected to call TrainTracker™ on 0871 200 49 50 mainly during times of unforeseen or severe train service disruption, when huge volumes of calls are received on the 08457 484950 telephone number and callers can end up in a queue.
TrainTracker™ is designed to provide a quick, alternative means for the provision of updated direct train running times when the caller cannot wait.
Chris Scoggins, Chief Executive of National Rail Enquiries said:
“TrainTracker will provide rail travellers with another convenient way of accessing important real-time information on direct train services. It will also help us to assist more callers when the rail network is experiencing disruption, for example during unusual weather conditions, when very high levels of enquiries are generated.”
Anthony Smith, National Director of the Rail Passengers Council (RPC), said: "Passengers want easy access to information about their trains. National Rail Enquiries has been very successful and anything which improves passengers’ ability to get hold of accurate information at the end of a phone line is to be welcomed. TrainTracker should provide a quick and reliable information service."
TrainTracker™ was developed by BT for National Rail Enquiries and will also be hosted by them. Calls to the 0871 200 49 50 number will cost 10 pence a minute from a BT land line. An average call takes just 90 seconds.
Real-time train running information is also available through National Rail Enquiries by telephone, WAP and on the National Rail web site, www.nationalrail.co.uk.
National Rail Enquiries answered 50 million enquiries on the 08457 484950 last year, making it Britain’s busiest telephone number and received 55 million web site visits at www.nationalrail.co.uk.