Following a £10 million investment by Network Rail, rail passengers across South London, Surrey and Sussex are benefitting from better journey information.
Network Rail worked in partnership with train operators, Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express.
New and improved screens, designed by a team of rail industry experts and developed through trials with passenger groups, have been installed at 157 stations across the region.
The 536 new screens are to provide passengers who travel on Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services with more information in a format that is easier-to-read.
Public address (PA) systems have been replaced with higher-quality speakers along with amplifiers and microphones.
New software systems, the technology which supplies the on-screen information and controls the automated announcements have also been upgraded.
What did the officials have to say?
John Halsall, managing director Network Rail South East, said:
“Feedback from passengers tells us that the difference between a good or bad journey experience can be the quality and usefulness of the service information they receive on platforms and at stations.
“This investment responds to passenger feedback and is already improving journeys for passengers at hundreds of stations.”
Tracy Hall, Head of Customer Information at Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern and Thameslink services, said:
“The completion of this project marks the successful end of a two-and-a-half-year collaboration project with Network Rail. The upgraded screens offer passengers a more reliable channel with a clearer picture to review the latest travel information, bringing our customer information offering up-to-date.”
On Southern, 536 new screens will benefit passengers at 157 stations.
145 station PA systems have been replaced; a total of 2350 speakers.
On the Catford Loop, information systems at seven Thameslink stations have been upgraded.
At Gatwick Airport Station, 86 screens have been replaced across all seven platforms.
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One train operator can’t be bothered to replace the old information screens and are still improving stations across its network. Yp that’s Greater Anglia alright. Whilst other train operators have spent money on replacing information screens that makes it so much easier to read and is designed for people who are blind and/or deaf.