Avanti West Coast has launched an interactive live rail map online to help customers track their trains in real time following a suggestion from Carlisle station.

The train company has worked alongside rail tech innovator Signalbox to provide a new service that offers customers an easy way to follow the progress of their train on a phone, tablet or computer when travelling on the West Coast Main Line.

Currently operating on a trial basis after being piloted on the digital screens at Carlisle train station, the technology adds a visual map element which will perhaps make it more user-friendly and easy to use than other train-tracking services. 

Customers will be able to share their location to make it easier to plan and manage journeys, while also providing reassurance when travelling. 

David Franklin, Innovation Strategy Manager at Avanti West Coast, said: "We know how important it is to our customers to have clear and live information when travelling with us. We’re always looking to find new and better ways of doing things and are delighted to innovate with Signalbox to trial this technology.

"By providing our customers with a good visual to locate their train, we hope they’ll feel more reassured, as well as have greater confidence when travelling with access to information specific to their journey at the touch of a finger."

The new interactive map came after a suggestion from those at Carlisle train station that customers would benefit from a visually-engaging map, which shows the journey status, platform numbers and arrival times at each station on the route. 

Signalbox CEO, Toby Webb, said: "It’s been great to work with Avanti West Coast to deliver a new application that incorporates the best bits of our technology to detect, map, and share trains.

"The innovation we’ve created for the trial is a new simple way for passengers to access real-time information that’s personalised for their journey. We hope this approach to delivering live data directly to travellers on the move improves the passenger experience across the network."  

Customers who wish to track trains on their own device can visit:  https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/travel-information/live-train-status/signalbox