The UK rail settlement system is currently one of the world's largest and most complex settlement systems, and is even larger than any of the settlement systems used by global airlines.
The system to be designed by SchlumbergerSema will be capable of handling and allocating more than £3.5billion in annual passenger revenue to Britain's 27 passenger train operators, and is expected to be fully operational by 1 April 2003.
The new system, code named Lennon (Latest Earnings Networked Nationally Over Night) will deliver information from all ticket sales - whether purchased from a ticket vending machine, on a train, via the web or at a ticket office - within 24 hours to the train operating companies and Transport for London.
This is a dramatic improvement on the existing system that takes up to six weeks to process and deliver the same information.
Having captured this valuable sales information, train operating companies believe they will be able to plan rail services to ensure that high levels of customer service are maintained at all times.
The information can also be used to develop more targeted marketing and retail programs to increase sales.
David Baillie, managing director, SchlumbergerSema, UK said: This is a new contract extending work originally awarded in 1998 and reinforces the position of SchlumbergerSema as the leading IT supplier to the UK rail industry,
This demonstrates yet again our capabilities to deliver large, complex IT projects. Lennon is critical to the modernisation of the UK rail system, and SchlumbergerSema is delighted to be taking the lead role in its development and implementation.
Commenting on the agreement, George Muir, director general of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: With more and more passengers and the trains getting full, the rail industry desperately needs sophisticated sales information even quicker - we want it by the next day.
This will help us match passengers to seats so we maximise use of the railway capacity. The technical challenges in the project are stunningly difficult, but SchlumbergerSema has a great team on the job and they are on target for live delivery next year. I think this will be the best sales information system in Europe."
Lennon carries out three critical functions:
- Data Retrieval and Validation Services process on a daily basis all the ticket sales data from across the country and validate each of the 700,000 transactions
- Apportionment Service allocates daily revenues of £20million between each of the different parties - such as the train operating companies, Transport for London or travel agents within 24 hours of the ticket being purchased
- Information Service provides valuable marketing and customer related data on 30 billion annual ticket sales and usage patterns to the train operating companies
Facts & Figures
- Over 8000 ticket-issuing devices are polled each night
- Over 700,000 transactions polled, validated and apportioned each night
- £20million of revenue processed each day
- Over £3.6billion revenue apportioned each year
- In the UK rail industry, some 200 million tickets are sold each year
totalling approximately £3.5billion. This figure includes all ticket types from annual seasons, allowing a variety of journeys to be undertaken, down to single journey tickets.
SchlumbergerSema is a leading information technology services company providing consulting, systems integration, managed services and products to the telecommunications, energy and utilities, finance, transport and public sector markets.
More than 30,000 employees serve customers in 65 countries, SchlumbergerSema is one of two business segments of Schlumberger Limited, a global technology services company. For more information about SchlumbergerSema, visit http://www.slb.com.
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is the official voice of the passenger rail industry - representing train companies to the Government and other opinion formers on transport policy issues. ATOC manages many joint activities for train operators including revenue allocation and settlement, impartial retailing, the National Rail Enquiry Service, Railcard marketing, staff travel arrangements, international products and travel agent licensing.
Information from Schlumberger. caroline.crouch at london.sema.slb.com
Tel (44) 20 7830 4233
Mobile (44) 7733 310 086