Have your say on our proposed Station Customer Service Systems project

19 June 2023

Improving Customer Information

In our customer research, customers tell us that they want accurate, timely and frequent information about their journey as and when they need it and in a form that is easy to understand. In response to this feedback, the Station Customer Service Systems project established our aim to:

“Provide up to the minute rail information where and when our customers need it, to deliver the Best Journey, Every Journey”

This reflects our ambitions for customer information and our mission to deliver transport services that continually meet our customers’ requirements. This aim is supported by three goals which outline what we want our customer information facilities to deliver. They are:

• Providing high-quality information: Giving customers accurate, consistent and timely information as they need it, across the rail network in Ireland and through digital channels.
• Enhancing the customer experience: Delivering best-in-class customer support on-demand, ensuring that rail travel is accessible, safe and secure for all.
• Effective management and decision-making: Providing our employees with the data and insight they need to improve efficiency and enhance the quality of your rail services.

The Role of Stations

Whether journeys start or end at a national hub or a rural halt, stations provide the gateway to the rail network in Ireland. Therefore we want to make it as easy as possible for people to navigate within and around our stations and find the information they need quickly and easily to support their journey.

Within this, we plan a range of communication technologies to provide a step change in the provision of accurate, reliable information while customers are planning journeys, waiting at stations, or interchanging between services.

Station Customer Services Systems will be how consistent, accurate and timely information is provided to customers while in our stations and include all at-station facilities that can be used to communicate with customers. They include technologies that:

• distribute information to customers (e.g. ticket vending machines, public address facilities and passenger information display screens);
• are part of security or revenue control systems (e.g. CCTV, ticket gates and other ticket facilities);
• enable direct enquiries from customers with problems (e.g. help points and lift passenger call systems); and
• support the safety of customers and staff (e.g. fire and security alarms).

Planning for Investment – have your say

We are now moving forward to define specifications for each of the technologies described above. In parallel we are also drawing up plans for deployment of the systems at stations nationwide.

In doing so we want to ensure that individuals have the opportunity to put forward views on the provision of information at stations. To give us plenty of time to ensure your views are considered, input is required on or before 28 July 2023.

The questionnaire has now closed and we are currently reviewing the feedback received from customers.

Our questionnaire does not request any personal information, and the data provided will be used solely for the purpose of informing the specification of Station Customer Services Systems. Any data collected will be destroyed upon completion of the current preliminary design exercise.

Should you prefer not to complete the questionnaire we would welcome your thoughts either by email (to SCSS@irishrail.ie) or by post (to Station Customer Services Systems (SCSS), c/o CIE Head Office, Heuston Station, St. Johns Road West, Dublin 8, D08 E2CV).

Next Steps

Having considered your views, specifications for each of the systems, alongside indicative station layout designs, will be defined by summer 2023.

During late 2023 we will seek permission from the National Transport Authority to proceed with the preparation of procurement documents, taking into account final equipment specifications and our proposed plans for nationwide rollout. Having done so, we expect to commence market engagement and procurement activities during spring 2024.

If you have any queries regarding this programme, please contact us using the contact details provided above.