Southeastern set out to redesign its digital experience to better support customers requiring assisted travel.
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Southeastern set out to redesign its digital experience to better support customers requiring assisted travel.
OnTrack Retail supports Southeastern’s commitment to ensuring that everyone can travel with confidence, regardless of their accessibility needs. In partnership with Southeastern, we therefore set out to redesign the digital experience for customers requiring assisted travel.
The result is the Passenger Assist feature, now available across both the Southeastern app and website, making travel more accessible, seamless, and user-friendly than ever before.
OnTrack Retail worked closely with Southeastern to launch a minimum viable product (MVP) that would directly empower customers to manage their travel assistance through the app. Key features included:
Accessibility profile
Giving passengers the ability to create and save detailed profiles highlighting their individual needs, which are automatically added to every Passenger Assist booking they make.
Booking assisted travel
Allowing customers to independently request assistance outside the ticket booking flow, so everyone can benefit.
Status tracking
Real-time updates and notifications to keep customers informed of any changes to their arrangements, building confidence and trust.
Self-service modifications
Giving users the flexibility to modify or cancel requests as their circumstances or plans change.
This initial launch laid the groundwork for improved accessibility, removing barriers and giving control back to the passenger.
Iterative improvement
The second phase of the project focused on further developing the functionality to allow passengers booking tickets in the app to request assistance in one seamless flow, without duplicating information or risking mismatches between bookings and assist requests.
Booking flow integration
Adding Passenger Assist directly into the ticket purchase process reduced friction, minimised errors, and saved time for customers.
Smart reminders & pre-populated forms
Customers could quickly select previously used journeys to auto-fill details, while proactive notifications helped ensure they never missed a Passenger Assist booking.
Available for everyone
The standalone form for assistance requests remained, ensuring all Southeastern customers could request help, even if they did not buy their ticket through the app.
The result was a dramatically improved user journey; one that anticipated real passenger needs and made assistance a natural, integral part of travel planning.
To ensure a consistent and accessible experience across all digital channels, the third phase involved us bringing the Passenger Assist form to Southeastern’s WebTIS platform.
WCAG level AA compliance
In line with our existing platform, we ensured the new Passenger Assist functionality met best-in-class accessibility standards, allowing it to be accessible for all, including those with significant visual impairments or other disabilities.
Full feature parity
Across both web and app, both within and outside the ticket booking flow, customers could now create and manage accessibility profiles as well as make or modify requests.
To ensure these solutions didn’t just meet technical standards, but truly worked for users, OnTrack partnered with the Sight Loss Council for in-depth accessibility testing. Their feedback directly shaped further improvements, including:
Making content readable for all, especially those with low vision or using larger text sizes.
Ensuring vital information is properly announced by screen readers and never lost.
Adding intuitive swipe gestures and optimizing the placement of key information.
Clearly indicating which journeys offer full, partial, or no step-free access, so passengers can plan with confidence.
This ongoing dialogue with users ensures that accessibility isn’t just a box to tick; it’s a mindset embedded in every iteration.
OnTrack and Southeastern recognise that accessibility is never “done.” With every release, we seek new feedback, measure real-world usage, and proactively close gaps. Whether it’s refining existing flows, responding to regulatory changes, or pioneering new standards, our mission is simple: make rail travel inclusive for all.
The partnership between Southeastern and OnTrack Retail has transformed how passengers with accessibility needs plan and experience their journeys. By embedding the Passenger Assist feature into both app and web platforms, and by listening to real users every step of the way, we’re setting a new standard for accessible, confident, and independent travel.
For more on Southeastern’s accessibility services, visit their official Passenger Assist page. Or for details on the Sight Loss Council, you can find on their official homepage.
