A COMPREHENSIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE - ARI: A SOPHISTICATED RAILWAY INFORMATION SYSTEM

Today, rail travellers not only need information about the scheduled timings of their journeys, they also need to know the details of their trips, and what might affect the planned timetables. This article describes the ARI (Automatic Railway Information) project, which has been developed by Belgian National Railways (SNCB) since 1992 to meet these challenges. ARI is based on modern information technology. Its three media services provide rail travel information via personal computers, television, and telephone. ARI has developed or is developing five products to meet customer requirements at SNCB and other public transport stations; they provide comprehensive up-to-date travel information, travel environment information, automatic management of bus-train connections, and printed timetable summaries. Travel information and ticketing services are also available on trains. ARIcenter is the central system for managing the computers, computer networks, and databases of the real-time travel information system. ARIgate has been designed as an information hub that can be accessed by a wide public, through interactive teletext, personal computer systems with modems, several other European communication networks, and the Internet.