Rail replacement overhaul planned by CMAC
Disruption management and service continuity specialist CMAC Group is putting in place a new business focusing on improving the customer experience with rail replacement services.
The organisation, named Great British Rail Replacement, aims to change the approach toward the provision of bus, coach and taxi services during planned engineering works and short notice disruption. It plans to work with transport operators and other stakeholders to ensure there is a more seamless and integrated overall experience across all customer touchpoints in the end-to-end rail journey proposition when rail replacement services are deployed.
“Customer expectations are higher than ever and post-Covid they are more discerning about whether to travel or not” – Peter Slater, CEO of CMAC
Peter Slater, CEO of CMAC, said: “The rail industry is long overdue a fresh approach to the provision of rail replacement. Customer expectations are higher than ever and post-Covid they are more discerning about whether to travel or not. Too often, customers choose not to travel because they see that rail replacement services are running instead of trains, or they have a bad experience during disruption and either don’t come back or reduce their trip frequency.
“The sector needs to take a strategic and customer-led view towards not only the specification for rail replacement activity but also a more industry-wide review of its spend, particularly as it is under pressure to reduce costs”.
The business will be headed up by experienced rail replacement professional Ian Jeffrey, who led Abellio’s activity in this area as Managing Director, as well as having held senior roles in the industry during a 40-year career. He will be supported by Alex Warner, a multi-modal transport professional who has spent more than three decades helping shape and improve the delivery of customer experience propositions across the industry.
“At Great British Rail Replacement, we’re building a team focused on providing the best possible rail replacement operations and customer service” – Ian Jeffrey
Jeffrey adds: “As we move towards a new structure for the rail industry, we want to help the sector re-evaluate and set new standards for rail replacement services and customer experience during planned or unplanned disruption. At Great British Rail Replacement, we’re building a team focused on providing the best possible rail replacement operations and customer service, and developing innovative solutions to help deliver a new concept that we hope will change customers’ perceptions of rail replacement.”
Through planned discussions with stakeholders, including customer representative groups and non-users, a new blueprint and strategy for rail replacement is being developed by the team to help inform industry thinking and support policy formulation as part of the transition to any new structure for the future industry.
The services provided by Great British Rail Replacement will be delivered by CMAC, which, following its recent acquisition, is now part of the Comfort Del Gro Group.