4 December 2008

RJIS provides timetables, fares, route planning, ticketing and transaction services

The UK’s Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) has commissioned Fujitsu Services to upgrade its Rail Journey Information Service (RJIS), a system crucial to the running of the country’s railways. RJIS provides the timetables, fares, route planning, ticketing and transaction services needed to buy rail tickets and complete travel enquiry requests.

The five year, £13 million deal, will see Fujitsu refresh and update the hardware and applications technology used by RJIS. Fujitsu was responsible for the initial development of RJIS in the 1990s when it implemented a complete applications business solution which brought a series of ATOC’s legacy systems onto one single integrated platform. RJIS is built on HP hardware and runs on Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

As a result of the 25 per cent annual growth in online purchases of train tickets, railway operators have a bigger need for vending-style machines used for ticket collection. In response to this, Fujitsu will be managing the RJIS database to ensure there is capacity to meet the growing demand for ticket vending machine services. By improving the database for these machines Fujitsu expects a greater uptake among RJIS users. This shift will also make Ticket-on-Departure machines more cost-effective for smaller stations to operate, which will be beneficial to both the train operating companies, and most importantly the customer.

Nick Chisnall, head of rail business at Fujitsu Services, said: “The enhanced user interface and strengthened Ticket-on-Departure system will contribute greatly to smooth operations in the National Rail arena, providing benefits to both train operating companies and customers alike. We are pleased to see this partnership continue to 2013.”

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