The online innovation workshop, “Transforming the Passenger Experience”, is the last of three workshops planned for 2021 within the UIC Passenger Experts Group. Luca Mariorenzi, UIC Pas Chairman of the Group, opened the workshop. More than 30 participants joined online, representing Trenitalia, FS, DB, MÁV, SBB, Renfe, CP, JSC RZD, Euskotren and UIC, amongst others.
Following a quick round of introductions, Stefano Scarci (EY) took the floor and provided an overview of the topic. He presented key outcomes from the Future Travel Behaviours observatory, which support the growing relevance of four key themes driving travellers’ choices: sustainability, personalisation, door-to-door and accessibility. He then highlighted major trends affecting the five stages of the rail customer experience: inspiration, planning and shopping, first/last mile and station, on-board, disruption and post-sales. Mr Scarci concluded by emphasising the role of digital technologies in enabling the transformation of the customer experience.
Lucie Anderton, Head of Sustainability at UIC, provided an overview of the Vision of Rail 2030, recently published by the UIC Global Railway Sustainability Taskforce. She described four transformational topics: transforming cities and connecting communities, energy and tech innovation, seamless interconnectivity and customer experience. Ms Anderton also provided information on highlights from UIC’s participation in the COP26 in Glasgow.
Giulio Piacentini of EY offered insights on where customers are headed based on the Future Consumer Index survey. He described a trend toward “better” consumption rather than “greater” consumption, with a focus on the need to pay greater attention to sustainability and quality. Mr Piacentini then presented the five emerging consumer segments: planet first, affordability first, health first, experience first and society first.
Participants were split into three groups for the breakout sessions. Thanks to a virtual collaborative workspace, the groups brainstormed on the transformation of the rail customer experience with three distinct time horizons: over the next three years, from 2025 to 2029, and from 2030 onwards. The participants developed proposals for actions that the rail industry should put in place to enable transformation.
