New rail boss promises better information for passengers

Sophie Dutordoir, the new CEO of national rail authority SNCB, has pledged to improve real-time information for passengers. She intends to reinforce the communications department, she said, both in terms of personnel and infrastructure.

In a meeting with the SNCB board of directors at the weekend, Dutordoir said that the communications department was not seen as central to rail service and needed to be given a more prominent role within the company’s structure.

“It needs to not only get the resources it needs, but also be permitted to have more influence on other departments that are in contact with rail users, such as conductors, station announcements, information signs and online information,” she said.

Passengers affected by train delays and cancellations regularly point out the lack of information provided to allow them to manage their own situations. Even if some problems are inevitable, users say, more and better information goes a long way to helping commuters cope.

Dutordoir has asked the communications department to draw up a plan and list of necessary materials. She also listed two other priorities for her term in office: punctuality of trains and passenger safety.

The SNCB has already announced that it will make timetable information available to software developers, to allow them to create applications. Two companies, Google and iRail, have already requested the data.

Photo courtesy BNP Paribas Fortis