Operators


are
not
maintaining
station
help
points
efficiently
and
are
leaving
passengers
without
information
as
a
result,
according
to
the
Office
of
Rail
and
Road.

The
equipment
is
installed
at
more
than
four
stations
out
of
five,
but
becomes
particularly
important
when
no
staff
are
available.

Passengers
most
commonly
use
the
points
to
ask
for
information
about
train
services,
but
they
are
also
sometimes
used
to
ask
for
assistance
or
to
report
an
emergency.
Passengers
can
use
an
equivalent
service
by
calling
a
freephone
number
at
the
325
unstaffed
or
partially
staffed
stations
which
do
not
have
a
help
point,
but
there
is
a
risk
that
both
help
point
and
freephone
services
can
be
affected
by
poor
mobile
coverage
in
remote
areas.

The
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
reviewed
data
from
21
operators
of
stations
responsible
for
help
points
at
more
than
2,500
stations
and
also
reviewed
Department
for
Transport
and
Transport
Scotland
data
from
routine
service
quality
audits.

It
found
that
a
quarter
of
stations
audited
for
the
DfT
in
England
in
the
twelve
months
to
August
this
year
had
at
least
one
help
point
reported
as
‘not
working’
when
inspected.

The
ORR
added
that
operators’
methods
of
testing
their
help
points
‘vary
significantly,
and
we
are
concerned
that
operators
may
not
be
identifying
and
therefore
fixing
issues
promptly’.

Operators
are
being
asked
to
review
their
monitoring
of
help
points,
and
to
carry
out
a
risk
assessment
for
the
unstaffed
and
partially
staffed
stations
on
their
networks
which
rely
on
mobile
phone
coverage
for
help
point
or
freephone
communication.

The
ORR
will
be
looking
at
what
is
being
done
to
improve
the
situation
early
in
the
New
Year.

The
regulator’s
director
of
strategy,
policy
and
reform
Stephanie
Tobyn
said:
‘Help
points
can
provide
an
important
backup
for
passengers
seeking
journey
information,
assistance,
or
a
way
to
report
emergencies.

‘Without
regular
inspection,
maintenance,
and
an
understanding
of
the
purpose
and
frequency
of
usage,
help
points
will
not
meet
passenger
expectations
or
support
train
and
station
operators
in
driving
broader
customer
service
improvement.’