The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has raised concerns with train operators and Network Rail about the consistency and usefulness of information provided to passengers regarding rail replacement services when planned engineering works take place.

The regulator wants better information to be provided when planned rail replacement services are introduced, after finding that there were too many places where passengers could be confused by where to go and what to do. There were some areas of good practice, mainly when passengers purchase tickets online before travel and are advised that rail replacement services will be in place due to planned engineering work.

There were also several areas of concern where improvements needed to be implemented, including:

• Improving the quality of advance information provided online. This should include ensuring better consistency of information, and making a clearer distinction between which part of the route will have a train service and which will require use of a rail replacement service.
• Ensuring rail replacement services are displayed in live departure information at stations and online so that passengers can see whether it is possible to travel to a destination even though trains are not running.
• Improving station information on National Rail Enquiries, which should include information about engineering works on station pages and providing onward travel links that include bus-stop maps and local information.
• Ensuring that buses used for rail replacement services display destination information, and that passengers are advised when a rail replacement service is approaching a stop.

The regulator also wants the industry to work together to see whether real time bus location data can be made available to passengers.

Operators have already received findings from the regulator about its findings, is discussing them with the Rail Delivery Group Customer Information Group, which includes Network Rail and train operators. The regulator has asked train operators and Network Rail to provide feedback by next spring on how they intend to address the issues raised in the report, and expects to see an improved service to passengers before it carries a out further study next summer.

Stephanie Tobyn, Office of Rail and Road s director of strategy, policy and reform, said: “Planning and making a journey on a planned rail replacement bus service should be as straightforward as when travelling by train, however our study showed this is not always the case.

“Operators must think more about their passengers, and not leave them in the dark because of a lack of clear and consistent information, especially now that the passenger experience of information on regular buses is much better than it used to be.
Industry must work harder to ensure that the frustration and worry for passengers who had intended to travel by rail is not exacerbated.”