Appy? Great rail apps out there, but do passengers know?

03 December 2013

Are passengers using apps on a daily basis? The latest in our series of work on smart ticketing is out: it looks at the rail app market and what passengers like.

In general terms, for any app to be successful, it should be focused, presented clearly and cleanly, up to date and accurate, and be positioned as a mobile version of a more detailed on-line version. It should also be offered by a trusted provider and ideally be able to be customised by the user.

Yet, there is surprisingly limited awareness of rail apps currently, even among train commuters who regularly use numerous other apps. When passengers were shown current rail and travel apps, these were generally well liked and some potential improvements, such as linking door-to-door information, were also welcomed.

So good apps are out there. But why are they not reaching passengers? No real need? Apathy? Limited promotion? That fabled opportunity to reach, engage and talk to your passengers seems tantalisingly within reach but needs one final push.

 

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We have also produced a short video summary about the ‘Smart ticketing – mobile apps‘ research:

Smart ticketing – mobile apps from Passenger Focus on Vimeo.

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