Items preceded by a red number are recommended items e.g. “1 All TOCs should…”
Items preceded by a blue roman numeral are supplementary items e.g. “i Advance
purchase…”
1.0 Principles of Information Provision
1.1 Journey Planning Principles1 All journey planners should be compliant with all the journey planning principles in this section
2 Journey planners should display the current timetable sourced from Darwin
3 Journey planners should provide real time train running information that is consistent with Darwin
i Advance purchase quota controlled, as well as walk-up single and return fares, for a
journey opportunity may be shown. If such fares are shown the system should confirm availability for a journey opportunity by interrogation of the National Reservation System (NRS)
ii If advance purchase fares are not shown, or the range is limited to the fares valid on
some, but not all of the TOC’s trains, such limitations could be clearly indicated to the user 1.2 Changes to Train Times
4 All TOCs should advertise their train services - including bus substitution, diversions and amended timetables - 10 weeks in advance (subject to notification of train and engineering work plans by Network Rail being provided in line with the Informed Traveller Process) 5 Standards should be drawn up for the bus operator to work to – these could include standards of appearance and behaviour of staff
6 The words ‘Rail Replacement’ should be advertised on the front of buses and should display window labels detailing the destination, stopping points and the name of the TOC by which it has been hired
7 Timings for rail replacement buses should be input into Darwin
8 TOCs could have documented procedures detailing how information will flow between bus operators, CIS controllers and station staff regarding the real time running of buses, e.g. last minute traffic diversions or road congestion
9 In such circumstances information about these arrangements, including where to wait, should be displayed prominently at the station, available on TOC websites and passed to the National Rail Communication Centre (NRCC)
10 With very low footfall stations, where the cost of having alternative transport “standing by” would be disproportionate, it may be appropriate to ask passengers to use the Help Point or contact customer services to alert the TOC that alternative transport is required 11 In these circumstances information about what passengers should do, including a back up telephone number in the event that a Help Point is not working, should be displayed prominently at the station, available on TOC websites and passed to the NRCC
12 Advice that no service will be provided from that station between dates x and y should be displayed prominently at the station, available on TOC websites and passed to the NRCC
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13 Where those changes are major and prolonged, information about the changes and the reason should be displayed at least 4 weeks in advance at the stations affected
iii Sufficient numbers of staff could be made available to direct people to the right service,
answer questions, control crowds and assist with luggage where passengers are interchanging between bus and train and vice versa
ivAn estimate of the number of people expected to travel could be made based on historical
loadings and sufficient buses ordered in accordance with that estimate
vAfter major engineering work, a TOC representative could meet with the bus contractor to
discuss what has gone well and what lessons need to be learned to improve the service 1.3 Information during disruption
14 An initial holding message should be sent within 10 minutes of the Control office receiving advice of the incident stating that the Control is in the process of determining travel advice 15 Controllers should create and disseminate a Core Message whenever the train operator declares CSL2 arrangements are being implemented
16 The Core Message should convey the problem, the impact and the advice to passengers which will allow them to make choices regarding their travel plans
17 The industry should ensure that the reason given is consistent with all operators involved 18 The focus should be on the route affected, not the location
19 The message should make clear whether trains in both directions, or in one direction only are affected
20 An estimate of likely delay should always be included, even if this is a preliminary estimate
21 All estimates should be reviewed for accuracy each time the message is updated
22 When an estimate of likely delays categorically cannot be given it should be made clear that an estimate will be provided as soon as possible
23 Where multiple service groups are affected by the same disruption, the impact on each service group (if different) should be shown
24 If some service groups are unaffected by the disruption this should be included 25 If a reduced service is running, the message could state what is running
26 Where an amended timetable is in place, basic principles of the timetable should be contained within the Core Message
27 For more detailed information (such as intermediate calling points and times), recipients should be directed to where they can obtain this level of detail (for example, National Rail Enquiries, the TOC website or the staffed station information point)
28 When listing departure times in a Core Message, the use of “xx” in front of timings should be avoided (e.g. “xx:20” could be replaced by “20 minutes past the hour”)
29 The Advice should include details of alternative routes where these are available
30 Actions that passengers will need to take to complete their journeys should be clearly stated
31 If the advice to passengers is to use a different operator’s trains and / or a different station then the advice needs to be explicit as to whether or not tickets will be valid on the route; the phrase “valid” should be used rather than “accepted” or “passed” and the message should state whether there are any restrictions or other specific advice
Summary of Recommended and Supplementary Items
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32 If no alternative arrangements are possible (for example a line is blocked and there is no diversionary route and alternative transport cannot be provided) this should be clearly stated
33 The Core Message should be sent as soon as possible and reviewed at least every 20 minutes with a current situation update
34 All Information Controllers should ensure that they report train cancellations 35 All Information Controllers should ensure that they report train delays
36 All Information Controllers should ensure that they report diversions to trains 37 All Information Controllers should ensure that they report additional stops 38 All Information Controllers should ensure that they report cancelled stops
39 TOC information controllers should ensure that the appropriate agreed reason is used in Tyrell or the Darwin Workstation
40 TOCs should undertake a review of their address books at least annually.
41 Each TOC should have a process for inclusion of new addresses as they are required 42 At large stations, where two or more TOCs are present, key staff (for example: senior Network Rail and TOC Station Managers) should have the facility to share a central location from which to work and share information
1.4 Disruption Policies
43 All TOCs should have a written Ticket Acceptance Policy 44 A period of amnesty should be included
45 This should be agreed and communicated within 20 minutes of the initial notification 46 Tickets should be accepted by other TOCs on alternative routes
47 Seat reservations of passengers already booked on the accepting TOC’s train could be honoured, but the accepting TOC should make every effort to find seats for rerouted passengers
48 Rerouted First Class ticket holders, irrespective of the type of ticket held, are entitled to travel First Class on the accepting TOC’s train.
49 It is imperative that passengers who have tickets on a train that experiences disruption should not pay more than they would have done had their original journey not been disrupted
50 Tickets should be endorsed “DISRUPTED on [train’s headcode and TOC Code]”
51 They should then be accepted on the next available service(s) if their intended connection(s) have been broken including the waiving of restrictions on all ticket types 52 In the event that a passenger has not had their ticket endorsed, staff should be empowered to use their discretion
53 All TOCs should develop a comprehensive list of alternatives as per the ‘ATOC Code of Practice for Customer Information
54 All TOCs should share their list of alternatives with neighbouring TOCs and the NRCC 55 All TOCs should have maps showing alternative route options available for staff and passengers
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57 Ticket restrictions should be lifted on the routes affected - all ticket types should be included in this
58 A message invoking Ticket Acceptance should be sent via the normal recognised channels 59 Updates should be issued throughout the day so that all shifts are aware
60 Tickets should not be sold when there is disruption without the passenger being informed that their journey is likely to be disrupted
61 It is therefore required that:
The ticket office clerk informs the passenger at the point of sale
Ticket Vending Machines carry a relevant message
Reservations are not made on trains that are expected to be disrupted
Website and telesales outlets warn passengers of likely disruption to their journey 62 Tickets should be accepted throughout the day in order to allow passengers to make their return journeys
63 If the customer is returning on a different day to that when the disruption occurred, TOC staff should check with their Control whether tickets were being accepted and endorse the back of the passenger’s ticket
64 All TOCs should agree a Cheapest Ticket Policy
65 When Ticket Acceptance is in operation if a passenger indicates that they intended to travel on the disrupted route where a cheaper fare applies then the cheaper fare should apply even though they’re travelling on a non-disrupted route therefore it is imperative that passengers who have not already purchased tickets for the closed route should not pay more than they would have done had their original route been available
66 The cheaper-routed ticket should be sold and endorsed “REROUTED via [new route]” 67 If a passenger does incur additional cost for a journey - such as paying for cross London travel or being charged an excess fare - this additional cost should be refunded by the disrupted TOC
68 All TOCs should have a Do Not Travel Policy and a process setting out when it will be implemented
69 The policy will be set depending on the TOC’s business requirements, but it should provide for Do Not Travel advice to be issued when all trains between two points are suspended; no trains are expected to run for four hours or more; and there is no reasonable alternative route / replacement transport available
70 Even when Do Not Travel advice has been issued, a TOC should make reasonable endeavours to assist passengers already at stations or who have started their journey 71 Any passenger that does not travel should receive a full refund with no administration charge
72 All TOCs and Network Rail should ensure that these policies are communicated to all relevant staff
73 The Industry’s Vision for Passenger Information 74 Ticket Acceptance Policy
75 Cheapest Ticket Policy 76 Do Not Travel Policy
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77 Declassification of First Class
78 Providing service to First Class ticket holders for other TOCs 79 Charter and Refunds
80 Visibility to passengers
81 On train personnel should walk through the train regularly
82 Station staff should be available on platforms and station concourses 83 Providing regular verbal reassurance
84 Make frequent announcements as per the On Train and On Station Good Practice Guides 85 Proactively checking for information updates
86 Follow the recognised internal procedures 87 Apologising for overcrowding and inconvenience 88 Providing complementary refreshments
89 Refreshments should be offered, where available, when a journey has been delayed in excess of 60 minutes
90 In addition to staff resources, each TOC could carry out a review of the equipment and processes available for the dissemination of information and take steps to address any potential shortfall
91 All TOCs should carry out regular reviews of the technologies available to them for use by their frontline staff
vi If Standard accommodation is severely overcrowded, consideration could be given to
declassifying some or all of the First Class accommodation
vii Where possible, rerouted First Class ticket holders could receive the same level of onboard
service as any other First Class ticket holder
viii TOCs could maintain a list of staff who are willing to assist when necessary, either during
work time or out of hours and a briefing process and suitable training package could be in place
ix TOCs could either supply staff with a spare battery or provide access to charged batteries
at key locations around the network
x TOCs could carry out an annual review of their mobile phone provider’s coverage to
identify blackspots that require risk mitigation measures 1.5 Station Zoning
92 Station Facilities Operators should ensure that information is placed in the correct information zone
2.0 Information Off Station
2.1 Websites & e-Services93 TOC websites should contain information about how to make an Assisted Passengers Reservation Service (APRS) booking and a copy of their Disabled People’s Protection Policy (DPPP)
94 Details should be given on the following:
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Providing an alternative service
On-train emergencies
Replacement road transport
Getting further information about disabled travel arrangements
Train accessibility information
TOC customer service department contact information
Passenger Focus / London TravelWatch contact information
Any Rail User Group contact information
95 TOCs should highlight sustainable methods of travelling to the station
96 Options to integrate and interchange between train and bus services could be offered and explained including promotion of integrated ticketing systems e.g. PLUSBUS & Park and Ride
97 TOC websites should include information about the location of the nearest taxi rank or telephone numbers for local taxi / minicab firms
98 Each TOC website should display the following information as a minimum:
Ticket office opening hours
Accessibility information
TOC Contact Centre details
Customer Relations
99 Station information on websites should be consistent with NRE Knowledgebase
100 TOCs that provide an online Journey Planner should ensure that, as a minimum, it has the following options available to passengers:
CRS codes for ease of station name entry
Configurable ‘via’ option
Configurable ‘preferred minimum changes’ option
Number of adults
Number of children
Class option
Fare type – fastest / cheapest
Railcard option
101 Timetable information should also be made available in a line-of-route printable format, either in .pdf files or via a dynamic customer-driven Print Your Own Timetable format
102 Websites should have maps showing the national railway network that passengers can use to help plan journeys
103 Maps should include the outline of the country where it is possible to show on that map 104 National maps should show as many stations as possible without compromising the legibility of the map
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106 Regional maps should show all stations in that area
107 Regional maps should use symbols to differentiate between small and medium/interchange stations
108 Where rail routes continue off the map, an indication of the direction and main destinations should be included (i.e. to London ->)
109 TOCs that produce a map of their route should show other operators’ services where they overlap in the area covered by the map
110 Where changes to train times mean that a journey leg should be completed by bus this should be indicated to the passenger within journey planners
111 Passengers could not have to view a journey details in order to find that a leg of their journey is by bus
112 Journey planners should offer the ability to find out supplementary information about the changes to train times – e.g. the cause of the work / detail about its affect on journeys etc. 113 All through ticketed fares should be shown to customers
114 Fares should be presented in an easy to understand table
115 Fares should be grouped to show: Advance; Off-Peak and Anytime
116 Only the cheapest available fare in each group should be shown in the fares matrix 117 Fares presented should be sub-divided into First and Standard Class
118 Where there is no First Class fare set for the journey being requested, the fares matrix should show only Standard Class fares
119 If no First Class accommodation is available for the entire journey, the fare matrix should show a symbol to reflect this
120 Only tickets that are available for purchase at the time of the enquiry should be displayed
121 Customers should have the ability to find journeys on which a certain fare is valid and available
122 Websites that offer ‘cheapest fare finder’ functionality should enable the customer to select the cheapest fare for their one way and / or return journey
123 Railcard discounted tickets should be highlighted
124 If no Railcard discount has been applied, it should explain this and give a reason why 125 Available fares should be displayed in ascending order
126 The website should not suggest that the customer buys a combination of fares
127 Ticket Names should be displayed in the approved format as shown in Appendix C to this document
128 Where a special promotion is available for a journey requested a link could be provided to the relevant fares for the promotion
129 Fares for groups could be calculated automatically where a fare exists in the fares database
130 Fares which are calculated by applying an add-on should be shown as one complete fare 131 When a customer purchases a ticket which does not include a mandatory reservation, the opportunity to reserve a seat (where available) could be offered
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132 If having a seat reservation will result in an additional fee the amount should be made clear to passengers before they commit
133 The route by which the ticket is valid should be shown
134 It should be easy for the customer to find the terms and conditions relating to each ticket
135 The full terms and conditions as approved by ATOC Commercial Board for Anytime, Off- Peak, Super Off-Peak and Advance tickets should be shown in full and unedited
136 Other ticket information should include as a minimum, details of:
How to obtain a refund
How to change a ticket if their travel plans change
Whether a break of journey is allowed
Any booking deadlines
Whether the ticket is restricted to travel on specific trains only or by time of travel 137 An impartial site should be capable of providing all fares and timetable information for all relevant choices for the journey requested irrespective of the number of TOCs and or routes available
138 Where a web site does not provide impartial information it should be clearly described as such, indicating the limitations of the information that is provided there should also be a link