From health clinics to co-working spaces, Dave Ashton, CEO of train ticket comparison and booking platform Loco2, reveals his predictions for the future of railway stations.
The rail industry is going through a revolution. It’s now easier than ever to buy your train tickets through apps and websites such as Loco2, to travel almost anywhere in Western Europe. Tickets are immediately available on your mobile device and live data in apps (on-time status, departure platforms, etc.) is becoming de rigueur.
What about train stations themselves? They too, are modernising. Earlier this year I took a train journey in China, from Beijing in the north all the way to Hong Kong. More than 3500km in a long arc through Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shenzhen.
What impressed me most about the experience – beyond travelling overland at 300km an hour – were the train stations. China has had both the unfathomable challenge and beautiful luxury of building its transportation infrastructure from scratch. That isn’t the case in Europe as many railway stations have been present since the 19th century. However, there are a lot of improvements to come in the next decade.
As a technology enthusiast and frequent traveller, I welcome any innovation or development that serves both growing rail demand and makes people’s lives better. And what’s coming will definitely do that. Not just for people in major cities but even for those in places further afield. The concept of a “smart” railway station, sometimes called a “living transport hub”, is coming soon.
Below is a list of my predictions of what train stations will offer us in the next decade…
1. Underground supermarkets
There are already “Click and Collect” services at London Underground stations in North London, enabling commuters to purchase their shopping online in the morning and collect it on their way home after 4pm. The placing of Amazon or e-Bay lockers at stations is another area of growth.
2. Mobile health clinics
easier access to services. Train stations could partner with the NHS or private firms to integrate other medical facilities such as pharmacies for commuters to pick up their prescription whilst on the go.
3. High-tech gyms
would work on a membership or pay-as-you go basis to enable flexibility for users. I can see this
becoming a trend among commuters who replace rush-hour travel with a workout.
4. Co-working spaces
Although this was set-up four years ago, it’s only the beginning of what I see becoming the norm. Major stations across the country will be keen to attract workers who will use their amenities, and drop-in workspaces enable people to be flexible and productive before or after their journey. There will be wifi, private offices, meeting rooms and communal desks.
5. Virtual ticketing agents
Ticketing in particular has seen rapid change in the last decade, with smartcard-based systems rapidly overtaking traditional paper tickets on many of the world’s major transport networks. The system of virtual ticketing agents is designed to provide all the benefits of the traditional staffed ticket office with the streamlined operational advantages of vending machines.