South West Trains announces £50m customer service investment

New easy-to-use ticket machines, 57,000 more seats and 100 customer ambassadors will be introduced by South West Trains as part of a £50m investment to improve customer service.

The changes, which will be delivered as part of a programme of initiatives agreed with the Department for Transport, will also see 1,400 extra car parking spaces brought in for customers.

The 100 customer ambassadors will be located on station concourses to offer passengers face-to-face advice on their travelling needs.

South West Trains also plans to roll out around 170 easy-to-use ticket machines, with more than half providing a 24/7 video link allowing customers to talk directly to member of staff at the company’s customer service centre in Basingstoke.

Arthur Pretorius, customer service director for South West Trains, said he hoped the changes would help put customers at the heart of the company’s business.

The new customer service initiatives are expected to be introduced early next year.