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Passengers traveling on Southern, Thameslink, and Great Northern rail networks can now enjoy improved journey planning thanks to new interactive digital calendars. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates these three networks, has introduced an innovative feature that allows passengers to check online route maps for planned engineering work up to six weeks in advance.

Enhanced Journey Planning with Interactive Calendars

The newly added calendar feature on each network’s website enables passengers to simply enter the date of their planned trip and instantly view which routes will be affected by rail improvement or maintenance work on that day. The live digital map clearly indicates where replacement buses will be running, helping passengers plan their journeys more effectively.

The calendar also allows users to fine-tune their search by selecting a specific time of day, such as late-night or early-morning services. This feature is particularly useful for passengers who need to know whether their preferred trains will be impacted more by planned work at certain times.

Positive Reception and Future Enhancements

The new calendar tool has already gained significant traction, with views of the maps tripling during a four-week trial period. The live maps will continue to highlight routes experiencing unplanned disruptions, but this latest enhancement allows passengers to check well in advance for any planned service changes, providing greater convenience and clarity in journey planning.

Eileen O’Neill, GTR’s Customer Excellence Director, commented on the new feature: “We’re always aiming to make travel information clearer, more convenient, and more usable for our customers. This new calendar function makes it easier to get the big picture of where we know services will be affected by engineering work, well in advance. We’ll keep improving the information this provides and add more useful features to the maps as we develop them.”