21 December 2010
The National Rail Enquiries Online Journey Planner website received 3.8 million journey planning requests in one day during the recent snowy weather. When the service was launched in 2006 it attracted around 3.8 million journey planning requests during a working week, and this increased to 1 million hits a day by late 2007. This new peak of traffic is testament to the reliability of the technology and software that supports the service.
“Accurate, up-to-the-minute information systems are crucial...
The system, designed and operated by Thales UK on behalf of National Rail Enquiries, is one of the most frequently used travel sites in the UK and offers the public an online timetable journey planner updated with details of live train operations – extremely important during times of service disruption. The journey planning infrastructure and system that provides the realtime train information – Darwin - is run from Thales’s data centre in Doncaster.
Visitors using the service - www.nationalrail.co.uk - can view live departure boards, with real-time feeds from 2,500 stations and more than 20,000 services daily, receive up-to-the-minute service announcements, browse through useful station information, and benefit from special offers and links to other useful sites.
Peter Batley, head of Thales UK’s transportation systems business, says: “Accurate, up-to-the-minute information systems are crucial both for passengers needing up-to-date information and for the efficient, profitable operation of the UK’s transport infrastructure.”
In August this year, Thales UK launched its ‘Rail Planner Live’ app for AndroidTM smartphones. With our busy lifestyles it is important to have access to accurate travel information, quickly and easily. Whether you are on the move or planning in advance, Rail Planner Live gives you everything you need to manage your rail travel while on the move.
Powered by the Online Journey Planner and Live Departure Boards, Rail Planner Live delivers accurate and up-to-the minute results. The app is intuitive, with easy to use touch screen control.
Rail Planner Live brings all the best features of the Online Journey Planner website direct to your smartphone. It uses real-time information on train availability, plus additional features including access to live departure boards, incident alerts and ticket pricing. It boasts two useful features: ‘Get Me Home’, to navigate you home using the most direct rail route available; and ‘Nearest Station’, which uses your smartphone GPS and mapping software to get you to the rail network as quickly as possible.
This first issue of Rail Planner Live is designed for smartphones running the Android operating system. It will be released on other platforms early in 2011.
- Ends-
Notes to editors
Rail Planner Live, launched by Thales UK in August 2010, was built on our long pedigree in delivering transport solutions and mobile technology to the UK and worldwide. These include our recent achievements in delivering secure mobile phone solutions and our considerable experience of delivering critical information systems to a wide range of customers. www.android.com/market
Thales UK’s transport systems business: Transport networks around the world rely on technology and systems expertise from Thales for safety, reliability and optimised capacity. Our main markets in the UK are urban rail, mainline rail and roads, where our solutions include signalling (train control, axle counters, interlockings, train protection and warning systems, services), supervision and control, integrated communications, security and information management. Our clients include Transport for London, Net¬work Rail, London Underground, DLR, Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and various train operating companies.
With a current order book worth over £1.2bn and a strong order pipeline up to 2016 and beyond, our portfolio of products and solutions – backed by a full range of design, installation and support services – is second to none. For example, nearly every train in UK is fitted with Thales’s train protection and warning system.
About Thales and Thales UK
Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transport markets. In 2009 the company generated revenues of £11.5 billion (€12.9 billion), with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 22,500 engineers and researchers Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equip¬ment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners.
Thales UK employs 8,500 staff based at 40 locations. In 2009 Thales UK's revenues were around £1.5 billion.