1998-05-12 Regulator lifts enforcement order on Rail Enquiry Service (Office of the Rail Regulator)

1998-02-20 Regulator consults on enforcement order withdrawal (Office of the Rail Regulator)

1998-01-08 Enquiries on track for third successive month (Office of the Rail Regulator)

1997-10-23 Rail Regulator announces further fines for train operators as calls go unanswered (Office of the Rail Regulator)

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date 13 August 2003
source ATOC
type Press release

The online journey planning service run by National Rail Enquiries is becoming ever more popular with passengers and now accounts for one in every four enquiries made, according to figures released by the Association of Train Operating Companies today. Six per cent of online enquiries result in customers clicking through to online ticket retailers to purchase their tickets, a substantially higher conversion rate than most sites. One per cent conversion is generally considered good for advertising click-throughs.

The service, which allows rail passengers to check timetables and plan their rail journey via the internet and mobile phone, has experienced impressive growth in usage since its launch in March this year. The number of requests for timetable information, measured by the number of visits to the journey planner page of the National Rail website, reached a peak of 93,399 per day in July. This represents an increase of 13.5% on June’s peak (82,255) and a 33% increase on the peak day in the month after the service’s launch on 18th March 2003 (70,219).

Customers who have found journey information online are clicking through in ever greater numbers to buy their train tickets from internet rail booking specialists (www.qjump.co.uk and www.thetrainline.co.uk). Customers clicking from National Rail Enquiries’ online journey planner through to rail booking sites reached a daily peak of 6,104 in July.

"More and more people are making use of the improved timetable and fare information that this service offers," said Chris Scoggins, Chief Executive of National Rail Enquiries. "As well as delivering an information service which many passengers find convenient, we are helping to drive growth in online ticket sales."

While online enquiries now represent one in four of all rail enquiries made, the telephone remains the most popular method of enquiry. The National Rail Enquiries telephone service receives over 60 million calls per year and is busier than any other number in the UK.

ENDS

FURTHER INFORMATION
Contact the ATOC Press Office on 020 7904 3080

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is the voice of the passenger railway – in the media, to government and regulatory bodies and at industry forums.
ATOC manages many joint activities for train operators – including revenue allocation and settlement, impartial retailing, National Rail Enquiries, railcard marketing, staff travel arrangements, international products and travel agent licensing.
National Rail Enquiries telephone service (0845 7 48 49 50) currently answers 60 million calls per year, using 1,700 staff at four call centres around the UK, making it Britain’s busiest telephone number. The service is run on behalf of the train operating companies.
National Rail Enquiries Online was launched by ATOC in March 2003 at www.nationalrail.co.uk/planmyjourney as a brand new service and replaces the journey planner service previously operated by Network Rail and Railtrack.
The service allows web users to find out fare information, ticket availability and prices on the web or on WAP-enabled mobile phones.

Railhub Archive ::: 2003-08-13 ATO-001