Since its inception, Pragmatex has helped many organisations to innovate, develop and commercialise technology into the transport sector. A prime example of this in action can be seen in their recent work with smart ticketing experts Journey Alerts.
Throughout the course of the past few months, the Pragmatex team have been working alongside Journey Alerts, helping them to evolve their innovative solution across the rail industry and change the face of travel information systems.
To discover more, we recently spoke to Howard Farbrother, Director at Pragmatex, to learn more about the project and how the technology has the potential to radically improve ticketing solutions for rail passengers across the country:
What drew Pragmatex to working with Journey Alerts?
This is a small industry, and we have known the Journey Alerts team for many years, and particularly Dan, since I worked at the newborn Transport System Catapult. Dan’s company was subsequently successful in securing funding from the £100 million Future Railway innovation programme at RSSB, where the Pragmatex founders came together.
Railway data is complex and not easy to navigate. We were already familiar with their travel planning offering, but they approached us with an idea they wanted to explore. We collaborated to flesh it out as a working concept, later securing funding from the Department for Transport’s 2023 “First of a Kind” scheme to make it happen.
What impact do you see Journey Alerts innovation having on the rail industry?
We designed this service to help build confidence for leisure travellers who are looking at multi-leg journeys using public transport. In particular, the “Now & Next” approach has been designed to help reduce travel anxiety. This addresses the needs of the 20% of the population who find public transport and the railway hard to navigate, complex and occasionally overwhelming.
This stress can lead to an aversion to travel in people vulnerable to its affects, whether that be older, less tech-savvy folk, or those with explicit cognitive challenges. If we can reassure those people and nudge them from “maybe” or occasional usage, to regular travellers, it will directly address a post-Covid industry-wide challenge in a way that is scalable, measurable and ultimately desirable.
Rail is a tough industry to make a difference. However, we don’t help ourselves with the way that we present information to our customers. Personally, I think it can come across as an uncaring system with a “take it or leave it” approach.
Travel planning is a crowded space, but the focus for public transport is rarely on you and your travel experience. The onus is entirely on you to decipher timetables, information boards, and – crucially – how to get from one platform to another.
Very few hold your hand through the process, and virtually none show you what to do when it all goes wrong. Now and Next is an attempt to address this. The language used is careful, deliberate, and easy to absorb, information is only pushed to you at relevant parts or times of your journey – for example 15 minutes before you reach a busy station where you need to change platforms
Journey Alerts will let you know what you need to know Now, and what’s coming Next, keeping you informed and empowered. If your train or your connection is delayed, Journey Alerts will flag it and give you the option to find a workaround.
This is all pushed through your phone using WhatsApp or Messenger. However, phone batteries die, and many people don’t like or find mobiles challenging. Therefore, Journey Alerts have also come up with a standalone handheld device designed solely to provide information about your journey.
This solution is easily loaded, always knows where it is, and is powered by a couple of AA batteries that last a month. The form factor is designed to fit in your hand, however there is still some work to do before this is completely inclusive, a key focus for the coming year.
What are the next steps for the Journey Alerts project?
Journey Alerts technology needs to get out there in the wild, so that we can nurture engagement, refine the experience, and build the volumes of evidence that will make this impossible to ignore.
We believe that this is the kind of service that will help bridge the gap between the operational complexity of the railway, with the needs and expectations of 21st century travellers – whatever their age, background or ability.
The communications are sorted but the form factor and accessibility functions of the Journey Assistant device are still basic. For example, we want to fit it with audio capability and ideally connect it with network-wide channels such as the Passenger Assist service, to help all audiences.
We are having productive conversations with several train operating companies, are already working with two, and are very close to finding the route to market that will generate mass adoption.
Once we have data volume, we can leverage the power of AI and machine learning to take journey personalisation to the next level. This is in tandem with providing the weight of numbers that will allow Journey Alerts to use their existing IP to provide accurate predictions on passenger numbers of every service. We think that’s quite valuable.
Why is Pragmatex passionate about delivering innovation?
Getting innovation to market is why Pragmatex exist. We formed the company out of the remnants of the DfT’s £100m railway industry innovation programme. The founders have seen up close and personal the challenges of getting innovation done in the rail industry and want to share that learning with others and help them get stuff done. Quite simply, it’s what makes us tick.
Find out more information about Journey Alerts over on their website here. If you have an innovation that you are looking to take into the rail sector, get in touch with a member of the Pragmatex team to discuss this further via business@pragmatex.co.uk
