Q&A with Lucy Whitehead, Global Product Director at Worldline 

What’s the most important thing when you’re exploring new Worldline products?

That’s easy – it’s always the customer. Without them and without basing our thinking on the needs of future generations, the railway will only ever reach half its potential.

When the railway works, it’s brilliant at getting customers from A to B fast, but there are times when the customer experience isn’t what it should be, and people end their journey with a negative impression. Our job, along with the rest of the industry, is to end that.

What are the first steps?

Managing customers’ expectations and being honest with them is crucial, and data will help with that. One of the big lessons I learned in a previous role at TfL was that communications need to be clear, easy to understand and with enough detail to provide rationale to satisfy the customer.

People facing delays, cancellations or affected by engineering work are never going to be happy but it’s more palatable if you explain why the work was needed and the benefits it will bring to them in the long term, like to maintain the track to make it more reliable because it’s based on a 150-year-old network.

The industry needs to treat customers with humility by putting them first in every decision and giving them as much information in as timely a fashion as possible. That’s where AI and data sharing will play its part.

How important is it to work backwards from what customers need?

It’s the only way we will create a network that will make them advocates, who buy into the concept of multi-modal transport. Understanding customers’ needs is vital, so we need to consider the purpose of their journey on any date and time.

We need to know what their preferences and motivators are because every person is different. Some people don’t mind being squashed into a train for 20 minutes while others want to travel in comfort.

AI and machine learning based on past data will provide an understanding of personal behaviours and create offerings bespoke to each customer based on their key drivers.

How will AI change things?

The industry will get better in terms of rostering and stock scheduling as products such as the Integrale suite grow even stronger with the advance of AI. It may never be totally cast iron because there are variables, but we will move towards a system where there are compelling alternatives available for customers if things do go wrong.

The tech side is nearly there but at the moment we have varying degrees of real-time data across our transport networks to help inform the decision-making process. That needs to change.

What are the customers’ priorities in your eyes?

There are three key areas – Overall experience, value for money and ease of use.

Experience: This depends heavily on timing, reliability and trust, which can all be affected by the health of the infrastructure, trains and availability of vehicles and staff. There’s also customer actions and weather to consider.

All could be significantly improved by better data sharing and AI to inform the industry on travel patterns, predictive maintenance requirements and learnings based on historical data.

If, from experience, we know an incident usually takes three hours to resolve then our comms via an AI Travel Assistant should reflect that and proactively offer relative alternative suggestions.

Value: Customers want a good deal at an affordable, value for money cost that matches expectations. There should be a review of the fares and how they compare with other forms of transport and consider all options to create a demand responsive service – that would mean fares don’t rise as the seats get filled, and more services are put on led by demand. In other words, make the supply match the demand, don’t drive demand down by putting up the cost of supply.

Value is critical. We can’t have a situation where the cheapest Plymouth to Edinburgh train is more expensive than flying there via Tenerife. True story.

Ease: Convenience of travel is paramount. People don’t want to risk lots of connections as the chance of missing a train rises. They also want and expect a comfortable seat on a longer journey.

What needs to happen to get closer to perfect customer experience?

Data sharing in real-time with AI layered over the top will change everything. I was at TfL in 2011, providing open data enabling collaboration with Citymapper and other multi-modal journey planning apps for London; it’s revolutionised the way people travel in the capital.

If that sharing of open data could happen around the UK with all modes to the same extent, it would allow the necessary data to inform AI for the greater good of providers’ and their customers in terms of experiencing a fully integrated journey.

What products are in the pipeline?

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) apps like the one due to go live soon with the West of England Combined Authority will give customers access to a one-stop-shop to plan journeys by combining multiple modes of transport in a way that suits them, and at a time that suits them - all with a single payment transaction for all tickets.

We’re also working on chatbots for purchasing tickets and getting real-time travel updates as well as an Auto Travel Pay platform linked to your calendar which can make data-led suggestions based on where you want to go and what time you want to get there. In the future there may be 24/7 avatar assistants in stations that can offer customer services support around the clock.

What products would you like to see in the next decade as AI gathers pace?

Going forward AI will enable football fans to say they want to travel to a Crystal Palace game, have lunch and a drink before the 3pm kick off, but have a less crowded, more comfortable train. AI will be able to make recommendations on transport types that would be quickest, less congested and offering the best value. It could even suggest a pub or restaurant and book it for you.

I’d also like to see continuous connectivity onboard all vehicles so customers can utilise their time whilst travelling and the flexing of supply of services as an alternative to flexing (increasing) the prices of tickets.

How far off are these solutions?

The tech is here now but there must be more investment in the data and AI that can bring dynamic pricing and dynamic routing when things go wrong. The Government needs to support this with regulations and standards but also with funding.

Once the private sector sees the Government is committed, it will be more likely to also invest and innovate. Government needs to support with funding local and regional buyers with their MaaS apps and Integrate transport initiatives. If not, local authorities with restricted budgets will buy cheaper versions and only get half the functionality and half the customer experience, resulting in poor adoption and engagement levels.

What will your role be like in 15 years?

That will depend on how far AI has advanced, but it’s moving at pace. It might be unrecognisable from what it is now because we’re only at the start. One thing is certain – it’s an incredibly exciting time to be involved in mobility.

The end goal will keep changing as the boundaries of AI continue to extend, which is why we need to continuously consider the needs of future generations. In 15 years, we might have driverless vehicles taking people from rural communities to transport hubs/corridors where their journeys – all good experiences with value and ease at their heart – can continue on a seamless, integrated and well connected basis.

Does the public attitude to cars need to change?

Different journeys require different options so a family going camping may always need to take a car to fit their tent and luggage, but for many journeys it’s about getting people to think differently and consider all their options, not just following old habits.

There are viable options with no emissions, no road charges, no traffic – get the proposition right and the two-car family will become a thing of the past as people join car clubs, take the train or a connected autonomous pod.

We must be innovative and think differently, so we’re constantly running workshops at Worldline to discuss ideas that would encourage people to change their habits. We need more of the recent example offering football club season ticket holders reduced fares for travel to games through the ‘I Came by Train’ campaign.