Wellington Rail Sets Communication Example

When life returns to normal, lets hope something can be done about keeping us better informed about services.

It’s timely as Veoila has done a good job in trying to us informed of delays during the bus stoppage and also apologised to customers for a problem that, for once, was beyond being their fault.

To be frank, this was a welcome change. Wellington’s rail services recently went through a series of meltdowns and commuters had no idea what was happening – something that sadly is what happens to Auckland commuters regularly.

So it has suddenly  been pro-active, taken stinging consumer outrage on board and is realising such information these days needs to come via different ways. Besides investigating a way of information being shown or communicated electronically on platforms, TranzMetro is re-doing its website and is now conversing with people through email, txt and on Twitter

So it’s time Auckland sharpened up its act.

Messages over loudspeakers at platforms are sporadic, not always relevant (western line sometimes get messages for the southern line), not always up to date, too vague (services are “running late” but does that mean you have no hope of a train in the next half hour?).

I gave up on txt messages warning of delays as they arrived up to hours later, a problem, the nice people at Brit told me, that happens with mass txt mailouts that take a while to get processed.

Electronic signs at bus stops are also a hit and miss affair with buses listed as arriving in five minutes then vanishing off the sign as if they never existed or just listed as being delayed – thanks to the GPS system drivers use and subject to human error if nothing else.

A reader makes an excellent suggestion that we need an iPhone timetable app for those with the devices.

Another reader has set up a Twitter alert using the hashtag #aktrains but this isn’t official so dependent on peoples’ goodwill and ability to see delays happening. From conversations happening around me in the last few days, trains have won some new fans who may keep using them.

But let’s make sure they don’t have bad experiences when there are the inevitable delays – and let’s demand we follow Wellington and get new communication channels opened.