I really hopes the government puts this to bed, and tells the TOCs in no uncertain terms that poster timetables at stations must remain.
I am not opposed to the use of QR codes as a means of disseminating timetable information, but this must be in addition to existing sources of information, not a means of replacing them.
As the article says, not everyone has a smartphone, and some people may have security concerns about taking their phone out at certain locations late at night. What if the relevant App isn't working, or if your phone has run out of battery or data, or there is no Wifi signal?
What next, will the departure boards at stations be abolished, and people told to rely on an App to see what platform their train is running from.
I am not opposed to the use of QR codes as a means of disseminating timetable information, but this must be in addition to existing sources of information, not a means of replacing them.
As the article says, not everyone has a smartphone, and some people may have security concerns about taking their phone out at certain locations late at night. What if the relevant App isn't working, or if your phone has run out of battery or data, or there is no Wifi signal?
What next, will the departure boards at stations be abolished, and people told to rely on an App to see what platform their train is running from.
Plot to replace train timetable posters with QR codes triggers safety fears
Commuter group warns move risks leaving passengers vulnerable late at night
www.telegraph.co.uk
Plot to replace train timetable posters with QR codes triggers safety fears
Commuter group warns move risks leaving passengers vulnerable late at night
Rail operators are scrapping printed timetables as part of a multi million-pound cost cutting exercise, sparking claims that passengers’ personal safety is being put at risk.
Pocket and poster timetables will be withdrawn and replaced with QR codes. Passenger groups said the move could prove dangerous at unstaffed stations late at night, as well as excluding some rail users.
The Department for Transport is under pressure to cut costs after spending more than £10bn to keep services running during the pandemic.
The Treasury has stressed that the DfT is not a “protected” department, meaning it could be on the receiving end of swingeing cuts as Rishi Sunak sets out his spending review this week.
A White Paper, published alongside a Government review of the railways earlier this year, championed the need to “modernise” the network with staff on hand to help those who struggle with paperless tickets or looking up timetables online.
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, said: “Over £20m is being invested across the railway to make it easier for people to get all the information they want, when and how they want it.
"Printed timetables cost around £2m a year and are used by 1pc of passengers, which is why we’re in discussions with the Government about redirecting this money to invest in better, real time information and prevent a significant amount of paper being used unnecessarily.”
But Emma Gibson, a director at commuter group London Travelwatch, said: ‘Many people still rely on printed timetable posters at the station and always keep a pocket timetable in their bag just in case they need it.
“People don’t always want to have to get their smartphone out to check a QR code, which can be a fiddly process, particularly if they have concerns about their personal security at an unstaffed station late at night. We have heard from rail users first-hand that there is great concern around these changes, particularly around how quickly they will happen.
“We’re concerned that someone turning up at a railway station for the first time in over a year who does not have a smartphone will not have access to information that they would expect as a matter of course and that this poor experience could put them off using rail in the future.”
Ms Starr added: “For people who would like a paper timetable, there would be options to ask for a copy to be printed at some stations or to request a copy from the train operator.”
A spokesman for the Government said: “Our railway must be accessible and open to everyone, which is why we’re working with operators to ensure they make access to timetables simpler and more convenient."