Southeastern has become the first train operator in the UK to automatically communicate planned timetable changes to passengers on a service‑by‑service basis, following a £260,000 upgrade to its Customer Information System (CIS).
The investment marks a significant step forward in how timetable changes are communicated at stations, giving passengers clear, tailored information about exactly what has changed on their train – whether it is running earlier, later, or has been cancelled.
Until now, delivering this level of detail required extensive manual input and was usually limited to services changing by two minutes or more. The upgraded system removes that constraint entirely, automating the comparison of timetable changes and generating clear, consistent messages in seconds rather than days. This also eliminates the risk of updates being missed during manual processing.
As part of the upgrade, every amended service is now automatically assessed, with bespoke messages created for screens and announcements explaining what is different. At the same time, station‑by‑station reports are produced to help frontline teams respond quickly and confidently to customer queries.
John Till, Head of Information Delivery at Southeastern, said:
"When timetables change, it's vital that customers can clearly see what's different about their train. In the past, creating personalised announcements and display messages for every affected service took a huge amount of manual effort, with an inevitable risk of things being missed.
The system also strengthens Southeastern’s ability to respond during disruption. New or temporary timetables can now be imported automatically, ensuring customers receive accurate, up‑to‑date information as quickly as possible during events such as severe weather or short‑notice operational changes.
The timetable enhancement forms part of a wider overhaul of Southeastern’s customer information capability. Recent improvements include clearer delayed service explanations, faster identification of cancellations, and better platform guidance to prevent passengers waiting in the wrong place. Screens now prompt customers to move along the platform two minutes before train arrival.
At origin stations, displays now show the live location and expected arrival time of incoming services. Where live data feeds fail, the system holds the last known forecast rather than defaulting to a generic “Delayed” message, helping to maintain passenger confidence.
These changes have been delivered alongside upgrades to Southeastern’s Customer Information System supplied by Worldline, which manages station screens and announcements and supports the delivery of information across wider digital channels.
The upgraded system is now live across the entire Southeastern network, setting a new benchmark for how planned timetable changes are communicated to passengers across the UK rail industry.
Image credit: Southeastern
