Closure Campaign August 2017

Best practice passenger communications during the closure of London Bridge, Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations

This case study demonstrates passenger communications best practice during the closure of London Bridge, Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations in summer 2017.

Between 26 August and 2 September 2017, a period including four busy working days, Thameslink Programme carried out £12m of investment that necessitated major disruption and no Southeastern trains to or from London Bridge, Charing Cross and Waterloo East.

Over nine months, a fully integrated Thameslink Programme communications delivery team – featuring members from each partner organisation – designed and delivered an effective, phased campaign to:

  • Notify passengers of the blockade
  • Achieve 85% awareness of resulting service changes
  • Encourage behaviour change in support of travel demand management suppression requirements of 20%.

Over the course of the campaign, the team successfully directed passengers to online tools, identified relevant industry stakeholders and kept them informed, managed the impact on passengers, employers and businesses, engaged with Network Rail and Train Operator Company staff and developed water-tight contingency communications. All while continuing to sensitively promote the scale, complexity and benefits of the work and the wider Thameslink Programme. All messaging and collateral development was informed by direct feedback from passenger research groups.

Achievements:

  • High levels of positivity around the campaign: Insight tracking showed 52% national awareness of our campaign, 99.2% Southeastern passenger awareness and an 87% behaviour change among targeted passengers
  • 67% awareness amongst business stakeholder groups
  • Positive, wide-ranging media and social media coverage across all channels.

The bold and consistent passenger information campaign achieved 98% passenger awareness amongst Southeastern passengers, gaining the required cut-through to suppress passenger demand.

Transport Focus: “This multi-channel campaign demonstrates best practice in passenger communications.”

Paul Maynard MP, Rail Minister: “…the positive feedback from passengers reflects the well planned communications and work of everyone.”

Further information

For more information on this Learning Legacy case study please email contact@thameslinkprogramme.co.uk