Understanding passengers’ experiences of train journeys to inform the design of technological innovations

In this paper, we present results from a collaborative research between academic institutions and industry partners in the UK , which aimed to understand the experience of rail passengers and to identify how the design of technology can improve this experience . Travelling by train can often provide passengers with negative experiences . New technologies give the opportunity to design new interactions that support the creation of positive experiences , but the design should be based on solid understanding of user and their needs . We conducted in - depth , face - to - face semi - structured interviews and used additional questionnaires given to passengers on board of trains to collect the data presented on this paper . A customer journey map was produced to illustrate the passengers ' experiences at diverse touchpoints with the rail system . The positive and negative aspects of each touchpoint are plotted over the course of a ' typical ' journey , followed by the explanations for these ratings . Results indicate how the design of technological innovations can enhance the passenger experience , especially at the problematic touchpoints , e . g . when collecting tickets , navigating to the platform , boarding the train and finding a seat . We finalise this paper pointing towards requirements for future technological innovations to improve the passenger experience .