THE UNITED KINGDOM ’ S TRAIN NETWORK IS ONE OF THE OLDEST IN THE WORLD ; THE FIRST PUBLIC RAILWAY OPENING IN 1825 . MORE THAN 1.7BN JOURNEYS ARE UNDERTAKEN EVERY YEAR IN THE UK AND LIKE MANY OTHER COMPLEX TRANSPORT NETWORKS , THE UK RAILWAY IS UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE TO DELIVER AGAINST SKYROCKETING DEMAND FOR MORE TRAINS AND BETTER SERVICES . MAYBE INDIA HAS THE ANSWERS …
THE BCG ’ S LATEST Rail Performance Index , which rates European railways on safety , quality of service and intensity of use , reports that UK railways have the sixth worst standard of service on the continent . According to the research , high fares and delays have pushed our network out of the Tier One band of “ best-in-class ” railway services offered by Switzerland , Denmark , Finland and others .
THE UNITED KINGDOM ’ S TRAIN NETWORK IS ONE OF THE OLDEST IN THE WORLD ; THE FIRST PUBLIC RAILWAY OPENING IN 1825 . MORE THAN 1.7BN JOURNEYS ARE UNDERTAKEN EVERY YEAR IN THE UK AND LIKE MANY OTHER COMPLEX TRANSPORT NETWORKS , THE UK RAILWAY IS UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE TO DELIVER AGAINST SKYROCKETING DEMAND FOR MORE TRAINS AND BETTER SERVICES . MAYBE INDIA HAS THE ANSWERS …
THE BCG ’ S LATEST Rail Performance Index , which rates European railways on safety , quality of service and intensity of use , reports that UK railways have the sixth worst standard of service on the continent . According to the research , high fares and delays have pushed our network out of the Tier One band of “ best-in-class ” railway services offered by Switzerland , Denmark , Finland and others .
There are many factors at play here , but digital transformation can go a long way in transforming the customer service experience offered by our railways . But rather than just looking to our neighbours in Europe for inspiration , we can look further afield for examples of technology that is revitalising our railway services . We can look as far away as India , where mobile technology is leading the way .
India ’ s travel industry is evolving . Over the past two years , rail minister Suresh Prabhu has announced new plans that will revitalise the country ’ s railway network , including increased investment of nearly 285 %. One development that is already underway is the introduction of mobile ticketing on all trains .
Not only are mobile tickets faster to buy and more convenient to carry than traditional paper tickets , but they are also widely used , given India ’ s love affair with mobile technology .
9