Supporting passengers at stations with Network Rail and GWR

Did you know that each week, around 200 travellers at Bristol Temple Meads ask station staff for help due to travel anxiety? It’s a common challenge at one of the UK’s busiest stations, and it’s one that we’re tackling head-on.

Station staff provide vital reassurance but once passengers move away, it’s easy for panic and anxiety to quickly creep back in. That’s where our Journey Assistant service steps in, offering a friendly digital hand to guide them step-by-step the rest of the way. The service provides real-time updates and instructions via WhatsApp, Messenger or SMS, working as an extension of station staff to offer continuous support throughout a passenger’s journey. We’re trialling the service as part of the Station Innovation Zone programme at Temple Meads, working with Network Rail, GWR and The Connected Places Catapult, and our goal is simple: to make sure the help passengers receive at the station carries on throughout their journey, easing anxiety and making every step feel more manageable.

How Journey Assistant Makes Travel Easier

Journey Assistant isn’t an app — it’s a digital companion that works across multiple platforms to provide continuous support. Here's how it helps:

• Step-by-step guidance via WhatsApp or SMS, building on the brilliant advice provided by station staff.
• Real-time disruption alerts, with clear alternative routes to keep passengers calm when plans change.
• Reminders to get on or odd
• Maps and instructions for interchanges, including buses
• Multi-language support to make information accessible to more travellers
• Buddy service keeps loved ones up to date, even if delays mean that plans have to change

Passengers can easily start receiving live journey updates direct to their mobile phones, thanks to personalised QR codes created by station staff that remove the need for complex journey planning or navigating online systems. Solar-powered digital information points will also be placed at key points around the station to give passengers instant access to real-time guidance.

Journey Assistant doesn’t replace human help—it enhances it. By combining the care of station staff with the convenience of digital support, it keeps passengers connected and reassured throughout their journey.