Rail Delivery Group: London Turn Up & Go

Research Problem

The Rail Delivery Group have been trialling a service called Turn Up & Go across certain train stations in London, where disabled passengers can turn up at the station and request assistance then and there, instead of having to pre-book it. The client wanted to evaluate the impact of the trial on passengers, but it was also important for them to understand how it impacted staff and station operations.

Approach

To evaluate the impact of the trial on passengers, we conducted mystery shopping, depth interviews and focus groups with passengers, as well as talking to charities and disability organisations. To understand the impact on station operations we asked station managers to provide feedback in an online questionnaire. We also interviewed a number of station staff.

Outcomes

Ultimately the research has fed into the Rail Delivery Group’s accessibility strategy, of which Turn Up & Go is a component. Therefore the research delivered by BVA BDRC took into account both the customer and the staff perspective when delivering our recommendation to make Turn Up & Go a formal service.

Understanding the staff perspective allowed the Rail Delivery Group to feedback to the industry what is required for Turn Up & Go to work without impacting on station operations. It also gave them a better understanding of what works well in terms of delivering assistance, as well as what needs to be improved or changed.  Delivering high-quality assistance is key to ensuring customer satisfaction and can make a big difference to the confidence of a disabled passenger. Ensuring this would not be possible without understanding what is needed from the staff perspective as well as the customer's point of view.

To find out more about our accessibility research expertise contact Jacqui. And take a look at the Rail Reputation Index to find out how we can help rail brands.