Alert Me

Alert Me overview

Exclusive to National Rail users, Alert Me is a unique, personalised, disruption messaging tool brought to you via either Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp.

National Rail provides customers with real-time, personalised information in times of disruption or if social distancing on their chosen services is predicted to be difficult. This is part of the rail industry’s commitment to put customers in control of their journeys and help provide a better experience so they can travel with confidence.

Customers can sign up to Alert Me by either Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp via the ‘Keep Me Updated’ buttons on the National Rail website. These buttons will appear when searching for a journey on the live departure boards or when looking in the details of a service within the journey planner.  

Customers who sign up will be sent tailored information about their journey including details of alternative trains should their next or planned service be cancelled or delayed, or when social distancing is predicted to be difficult. Alternative services by the same Operator will be provided (when available) and alternative journeys on other Operators may also be shown when possible. Please check that your ticket is valid before boarding alternative services.  

The technology being used was created by transport tech specialists, Zipabout. It uses a range of industry data feeds, direct input from Operators and journey planning data, and predicts how busy a service is likely to be by analyzing customer information and comparing it with historic trends. It also uses proprietary intelligence to make sure the information customers receive is relevant to their journey. 

Customers that do not have Facebook or WhatsApp will still be able to receive updates about their journey via National Rail Twitter, SMS and the National Rail app. 

Alert Me by WhatsApp

Exclusive to National Rail users, Alert Me by WhatsApp is a unique, personalised, disruption messaging tool brought to you via WhatsApp.

Alert Me by WhatsApp is the first of its kind to provide passengers with personalised journey information used by one of the most popular communications channels in the world. You can access the new service by planning your journey on the National Rail Enquiries website and clicking ‘Keep me updated by WhatsApp’. Updates include real-time details of delays, disruption and alternative travel routes.Our new tool provides personalised up-to-date travel information during periods of disruption to be sent to you directly via WhatsApp.

Information includes:

  • Updates on delays or disruptions for your journey and whether you are eligible for compensation
  • Alternative trains should your train be delayed or cancelled
  • Crowding information when stations and services are busy
  • Transport options to help you complete the first and last mile of your journey

Users can simply choose to sign up via the ‘Keep Me Updated’ button on Journey Planner results or in Live Departure Boards to receive notifications. Messenger Alert Button

 

Alert Me by MessengerFacebook Messenger logo

Exclusive to National Rail users, Alert Me by Messenger is a unique, personalised, disruption messaging tool brought to you via Facebook Messenger.

Our tool provides personalised up-to-date travel information during periods of disruption to be sent to you directly via Facebook Messenger.

Information includes:

  • Updates on delays or disruptions for your journey and whether you are eligible for compensation
  • Alternative trains should your train be delayed or cancelled
  • Crowding information when stations and services are busy
  • Transport options to help you complete the first and last mile of your journey

Users can simply choose to sign up via the ‘Keep Me Updated’ button on Journey Planner results or in Live Departure Boards to receive notifications. Messenger Alert Button

Click the button on the right to begin. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see below for a list of Frequently Asked Questions around Alert Me by Messenger.

Setting Up My Alerts

 

The easiest way to opt-in to receive journey alerts is via Facebook Messenger.

You will receive a confirmation message and your selected journey is saved to the 'My Journeys' list within the Messenger.

National Rail on Facebook Messenger or Facebook

1. Search for National Rail on Facebook, or in Facebook Messenger

National Rail on Facebook

2. Click or tap on the 'Get Started' in Messenger window

National Rail Facebook page

3. Select 'My Journeys' from the menu and follow the instructions to tailor your alerts

                              Alert Me by Messenger screenshot

You can opt-in to receive alerts on both regular or one-off journeys.

Regular journey alerts will provide updates for any relevant services around a defined time period e.g. All trains departing on or shortly after 08:00 Monday to Friday running between London Paddington and Oxford stations.

One-off journey alerts will only relate to a specific selected service.

Once the service is set up, you will start to receive alerts about the train journeys you have selected, including delays, cancellations and possible alternative routes (from the same operator) in the event of disruption. Please note that there may also be other alternative routes available from different operators via National Rail.

Do I always need to be signed into Messenger or Facebook for the service to work?

Yes. Whilst you do not need to be signed into Facebook to receive alerts, you will still need to be signed in to Messenger. You will also be required to sign in to your Facebook or Messenger account to complete the initial opt-in process.

Can I store alerts for regular journeys, or do I need to sign up again every time?

You can store alerts for up to ten regular or one-off journeys within the 'My Journeys' section of the Messenger app. You will not need to opt-in again each time you want to add a new alert.

Can I get alerts for any train journey anywhere in the UK?

Yes, you just need to tell us where you are starting and finishing your journey, and when you are travelling.

How do I select journeys relevant to me?

You can choose to receive alerts on any train journeys that you select on the National Rail website through the Online Journey Planner 

Online Journey Planner screenshot

or Live Departure Boards.

Alternatively, you can input specific train journeys to be kept updated on disruption by searching for National Rail in the Messenger app directly.

How do I remove alerts for a journey that I no longer take?

Alerts can be easily removed by clicking or tapping on 'My Journeys' within the Messenger interface and selecting the journeys that are no longer relevant to you. Simply swipe the selected journey to the left, and click 'DELETE' to stop monitoring the journey.

Can I edit a saved journey or change the frequency of the alerts?

Alerts can be easily edited by clicking or tapping on 'My Journeys' within the Messenger interface and selecting the journey that you wish to update.

Last Mile Feature

 

How do I find out what modes of transport are available to help me complete the last mile of my journey?
If you opted-in to receive updates for a one-off journey you will get an alert when you’re approx. 10mins away from the station asking if you’d like help getting to your destination. If you select yes then you will be presented with a selection of onward journey options which include walking, bus/tram services, taxi and (where available) e-mobility options.

Can I get the last-mile functionality on regular journeys?
For now, you will only receive information about the last mile of your journey if you opt-in to receive information about a on one-off journey. We plan to add this functionality to your regular journeys in the future.

What information does the last mile functionality provide me with?
When you approach your destination, you will receive a welcome message asking if you’d like help with your onward journey. If you select to receive more information you will be presented with a variety of onward journey options from walking and cycling to taxis, buses and e-scooters (where available). You will also be given an ETA for each mode, to help you determine your preferred route.

Will I be able to book and pay for any of my onward journey options from the train?
At present if a customer opts to finish their journey via e-scooter they get handed off to a third-party app or website to make their booking. This is something we are looking to develop for other modes.

This service is in Beta and will be launched to all customers Spring 2021

Managing My Journey Alerts

 

How many journeys can I store alerts for?

You can store up to ten journeys within the 'My Journeys' section of the Messenger app.

I'm going on holiday - can I temporarily turn off my alerts?

Yes, all journey alerts can be temporarily paused in the 'My Journeys' section Of the Messenger page. Simply swipe the selected journey to the left, and click 'TURN ALERTS OFF' to stop monitoring the journey.

I'm a regular commuter - can I set up regular alerts?

Yes, you can set up alerts for regular repeat journeys that run around a defined time period such as a regular weekday commute, e.g. All trains departing on or shortly after 14:00 Monday to Friday running between Brighton and London Victoria stations.

How do I cancel the alerts completely?

You can opt-out of all alerts in the Messenger app by selecting 'Opt-out of messages' from the 'My journeys' section of the menu. By opting out, all ongoing disruption messaging is cancelled and all saved journeys/routes are wiped. Once all existing alerts are removed, you will need to opt back in to monitor disruption on new journeys.


My Alerts During Disruption

 

Will I be alerted about cancellations as well as delays?

Yes, alerts are triggered for both train delays and cancellations, and alternative route options will be provided where available using the same train operator. There may also be other alternative routes available from different operators via National Rail Enquiries.

Will I get an alert for my journey even if it's delayed by just a minute or two?

Delay messages are only triggered when the selected train is delayed by 10% of your total journey time plus an additional three minutes. For example, if your journey is 40 minutes, we will only notify you of disruption if the predicted delay is greater than 7 minutes.

If the train delays change, will I get real-time updates?

Yes, for example: "Your train has made up time and is now running only a few minutes late" or "The delay to your train to London Victoria is now 11 minutes"

If I take the alternative route that has been suggested, will my original ticket still be valid?

Alternative routes will be provided where available, using the same train operator as the original journey (there may also be other alternative routes available from different operators via National Rail Enquiries).

Passengers are always reminded to check their ticket is valid on the alternative service.

How accurate is the information about the train delays, and where do you get it from?

Information is sourced from the industry standard DARWIN system, which is also used to power on platform departure boards and the National Rail Enquiries website and mobile apps. The service is under active development, and we will be adding and improving functionality on an ongoing basis.

Do the delay messages still work if I'm taking a train journey involving multiple legs and train changes?

Yes, Alert Me by Messenger can support multi-leg journeys.


Something Has Gone Wrong

 

I do not have a Facebook or Messenger account. Can I still access the alerts?

This service from National Rail Enquiries is only currently available for users with a Messenger or Facebook account. Note that it is possible to have a Messenger account without signing up to Facebook, using your mobile phone number.

My train was delayed but I did not get a message - why not?

There are a few possibilities why you didn't get a message. The most likely reason is that the delay on your train journey may not have fallen within the defined parameters of 10% of the total journey time plus 3 minutes. For example, if your journey is 40 minutes, we will only notify you of disruption if the predicted delay is greater than 7 minutes. Alternatively, you may not have been signed in to your Messenger account at the time of the delay or you may not have had phone signal if you use Messenger on your phone.

I cannot find the 'Keep Me Updated' button on the National Rail Enquiries website. Where is it?

The 'Keep Me Updated' button can be found in the following places on the National Rail Enquiries website:

You suggested an alternate route after my original journey was delayed but did not tell me it was going to cost more money, why not?

Messages suggesting alternative routes always advise the passenger to check that their ticket is valid before travelling on the new service. For example: "The following <TOC> trains should get you to X quicker. Check your ticket is valid'.


Data Protection

 

Do you store my data and what do you use it for?

The service only collects data for the purposes of providing disruption notifications, and by clicking on the 'Keep Me Updated' button or 'Get Started' on the Messenger app, you are consenting to the receipt of messages on Messenger for train services which you are actively monitoring.

In order to do this, we are required to store data on which train services you use, and your interactions with our web site and mobile apps. We DO NOT transfer any information to Facebook or Messenger, and your data is only used for the purpose stated above. We DO NOT store any sensitive personal information such as your name, address or phone number in order to provide this service. You can opt-out of the service at any time by following the instructions within the Messenger app.

Now that I have opted in, will I get inundated with spam and third-party advertising that I do not want?

Absolutely not. If you opt-in to receive disruption updates about selected train journeys, you will only receive informational messages related to those services.

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Last updated:   07 December 2021