Trainline introduces personalised train delay notifications

LONDON, 11th August 2021: Trainline has introduced delay notifications which means its customers are automatically alerted, if their booked journey is significantly delayed, via the Trainline app on their iOS or Android device. 

The new push notifications alert customers on single-leg journeys if their service becomes delayed by 15 minutes or more and, for multi-leg journeys, if their service is delayed by five minutes or more - on the basis that smaller delays can have a more significant impact on catching a connecting train. In addition, all customers who have notifications enabled are sent information on the current departure time for their journeys 60 minutes ahead of when they are scheduled to depart. 

Sending timely push notifications requires Trainline to process data at speed in order to translate  messages from the rail industry into personalised alerts. Of these rail industry messages, Trainline identifies approximately 600 each minute which represent a change in estimated departure time for a journey. These are then matched to customers’ journeys and checked for whether they meet the thresholds required before Trainline’s CRM system checks whether the customer has the app and sends the message. Each notification pulls in dynamic elements including the station, departure time, the journey’s origin and whether it’s multi-leg to ensure the message is contextually relevant for the customer.

This new feature from Trainline is the latest update to the Trainline app designed to support the “new commuter” as they adapt to returning to the workplace and their new routines. Other recent features include the ability to save your regular journeys in the Favourites tab of the app, so customers can consult a personalised Departures board and track real-time information for a specific journey by pinning it to their home screen.

Introducing personalised in-app delay notifications means customers travelling for leisure or work can feel more in control of their journey. By making the experience of travelling by train easier – especially as people return to commuting following COVID restrictions easing- we’re encouraging more people to choose rail over other less sustainable modes of transport.

Milena Nikolic
Trainline’s Chief Technology Officer

ENDS 

About Trainline  

Trainline is the leading independent rail and coach travel platform selling rail and coach tickets to millions of travellers worldwide. Via our highly rated website and mobile app, people can seamlessly search, book and manage their journeys all in one place. We bring together millions of routes, fares and journey times from more than 270 rail and coach carriers across 45 countries. We offer our customers the best price for their journey and smart, real-time travel information on the go. Our aim is to make rail and coach travel easier and more accessible, encouraging people to make more environmentally sustainable travel choices.