Current UK rail timetable does not meet passenger demand, says Zipabout

Transport tech firm Zipabout has said that the currently reduced rail timetable in the UK does not meet passenger demand.

The company said that the trimmed services resulted in a 25% increase in the number of passengers who are unable to find suitable rail service.

It noted that the unavailability of preferred railway services increased despite a 38% drop in overall passenger numbers after the lockdown due to the coronavirus (Covid-19).

The data is based on Zipabout’s passenger communication and analytics platform that provides real-time journey updates.

Assessing the data, the company identified Dumfries and Galloway, Leicestershire and Swindon as the most affected regions, which witnessed an average increase of 30% in train cancellations or service reductions.

To mitigate the issue, Zipabout called for a revised timetable that will be devised on passenger behaviour and real-time demand.

Zipabout founder and chief product officer Alex Froom said: “The necessary reduction in rail services due to the coronavirus has helped protect staff and the industry, as well as preventing the number of unnecessary journeys made by the public.

“However, there are still many people reliant on the public transport network to get to work.

“By introducing a flexible timetable based on passenger behaviour and real-time demand, operators will be able to continue running reduced services at the same time as serving those key workers who need it most.”

Zipabout founder and technical director Daniel Chick said: “Whilst our platform is able to provide this unique and unprecedented insight into real-time passenger demand, we are working hard to develop new ways to identify and assist key workers through personalised travel updates and end-to-end journey assistance.”