Southern's Web Site - Station Information

[Deepgreen]

I've been looking at the station information section pages on Southern's web site, and, of the ten or so stations I have so far checked, all of them contain multiple errors and contradictions, e.g. "Ticket Office - No; Ticket Office Note - Located in the Booking Hall."

It's hard to understand how they can have got this so consistently wrong - amateurish, to say the least!

 

[OpsWeb]

I've been looking at the station information section pages on Southern's web site, and, of the ten or so stations I have so far checked, all of them contain multiple errors and contradictions, e.g. "Ticket Office - No; Ticket Office Note - Located in the Booking Hall."

It's hard to understand how they can have got this so consistently wrong - amateurish, to say the least!

I suspect the website will pick up the information feed direct from National Rail Enquires / ATOC, as it is a "ATOC Good Practice" to do so (so all TOC's display the same information).

The contradictions in data are common around the country and seems to stem from extra fields being added to the master database over the years and people who originally input the data at respective TOC's, inputting it in incorrectly.

 

[Deepgreen]

I suspect the website will pick up the information feed direct from National Rail Enquires / ATOC, as it is a "ATOC Good Practice" to do so (so all TOC's display the same information).

The contradictions in data are common around the country and seems to stem from extra fields being added to the master database over the years and people who originally input the data at respective TOC's, inputting it in incorrectly.

You may well be right, but the result is a nonsense for anyone actually relying on the information. It just seems to be yet another case of the rail industry constantly claiming that it understands how important the provision of good, accurate information is, and repeatedly failing to do so.

 

[talldave]

If you feel like losing the will to live, email Southern's Customer Service department about it. Some of their replies are comical.

 

[Deepgreen]

If you feel like losing the will to live, email Southern's Customer Service department about it. Some of their replies are comical.

Been there, done that - they are pathetic in their crassness! A further trawl on their web site has revealed that London Victoria apparently has no ticket office, no toilets and no step free access to any part of the station. It is also not in a Travelcard zone. Apparently. Same with Waterloo, which also has no "metro" connections and no seating areas, according to Southern. Worse than useless.

 

[talldave]

The problem is that Southern don't care. Publishing rubbish on their website doesn't interfere with them playing with their full size train set all day.

 

[OpsWeb]

The problem is that Southern don't care. Publishing rubbish on their website doesn't interfere with them playing with their full size train set all day.

Sadly, I think most TOC's are the same. They all get certain data (like station info, train times, fares etc...) from the same source so if there is a fault - its just reflected across the nation. I have also got the feeling that they just don't care when you tell them of errors with the feeds.

National Rail Enquires on the other hand, I have always found super helpful whenever I contact them about data feeds or suggestions (I have to deal with the feeds on a professional level). On one occassion they have even sent me £20 of RTV as a thank you for pointing out incorrect connection times.

I agree it does need looking at, as providing the wrong information is much much worse than providing no information at all.

 

[Clip]

The problem is that Southern don't care. Publishing rubbish on their website doesn't interfere with them playing with their full size train set all day.

Lets be brutally honest here but that is exactly what their main function is. Hence why they have 'Railway' in their name.