When there are problems on the railways, passengers need to be kept up to date. That’s why South West Trains has set up a task force to improve communications during these periods. We talk to Christian Neill, who heads the team, but first we join a South West Trains guard for the day to see how new practices are making a difference
As the 10:35 Bournemouth service pulls out of London Waterloo, Simon James, Commercial Guard, makes his first round of PA announcements, welcoming passengers on board and dispens-ing information about the journey ahead. It is his second train of the day, and he has two more services to work before he clocks off.
With the train well underway, Simon moves through the carriages checking tickets and chatting to passengers with the friendly attentiveness that won him the accolade of Institute of Customer Service Frontline Customer Service Professional of the Year (e-motion, Issue 13). At all times, however, he keeps an ear tuned to the progress of the train, so that he’s prepared and in position well in time for the next stop.
As we make our approach, Simon is back on the PA system, announcing our arrival at the station. The next few minutes are a flurry of activity, as he operates the doors, helps passengers requiring assistance, gives the signal to leave and keeps watch to ensure the train safely clears the platform.
The routine is second nature to Simon now, but he admits that things don’t always run quite as smoothly. It can be a challenging job, he says, and never more so than during times of disruption, when a guard becomes the focal point for information—and sometimes for their frustration. “It’s vital to keep them informed about what’s going on,” says Simon. “You have to put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself, ‘What do they need to know?’ They’re aware that the train is going to be late, so they need to know what to do, where to go, and how late they will be.”
And it’s a position Simon has found himself in several times when caught up in severe disruption. In May last year, his train was involved in a fatality outside Surbiton, and he found himself responsible for the safety and well-being of the 700 passengers on board during the two-hour wait while the police attended the scene. “I walked through the train, talking to passengers and making sure they were okay—it made an unpleasant situation less difficult,” Simon explains.
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