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Gomonews is reporting a story that 1000 conductors on Northern Rail trains have been given a new mobile information service, enabled by Vodafone UK – meaning that customer service is better as customers are kept informed of issues during their journeys.
There are apparently 2600 daily train services run by Northern Rail, so clearly anything that can alert about issues for the conductors is a big thing. The device chosen is a BlackBerry, which give access to live departure boards, and update info also.
I have to say, having done the “London” commute on the train for 12 months (I won’t say which train company it was….!), I would have given anything to know about issues coming up on the line, so I could have had the option to get off in advance and find another route home. Of course, if a train is stopped between stations, you are a captive audience, for a variable time period “X” …
Just think, if this system was implemented by the train company I have to use, we could know about all sorts of things like ‘leaves on the track’ – they stop trains you know 
Seriously though, Northern Rail deserve a pat on the back for being forward-thinking and using the best tech – mobile tech!
[Via: Gomonews]
About The Author
Ben Robinson
Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.
