Operators are not maintaining station help points efficiently and are leaving passengers without information as a result, according to the Office of Rail and Road.

The equipment is installed at more than four stations out of five, but becomes particularly important when no staff are available.

Passengers most commonly use the points to ask for information about train services, but they are also sometimes used to ask for assistance or to report an emergency. Passengers can use an equivalent service by calling a freephone number at the 325 unstaffed or partially staffed stations which do not have a help point, but there is a risk that both help point and freephone services can be affected by poor mobile coverage in remote areas.

The Office of Rail and Road reviewed data from 21 operators of stations responsible for help points at more than 2,500 stations and also reviewed Department for Transport and Transport Scotland data from routine service quality audits.

It found that a quarter of stations audited for the DfT in England in the twelve months to August this year had at least one help point reported as ‘not working’ when inspected.

The ORR added that operators’ methods of testing their help points ‘vary significantly, and we are concerned that operators may not be identifying and therefore fixing issues promptly’.

Operators are being asked to review their monitoring of help points, and to carry out a risk assessment for the unstaffed and partially staffed stations on their networks which rely on mobile phone coverage for help point or freephone communication.

The ORR will be looking at what is being done to improve the situation early in the New Year.

The regulator’s director of strategy, policy and reform Stephanie Tobyn said: ‘Help points can provide an important backup for passengers seeking journey information, assistance, or a way to report emergencies.

‘Without regular inspection, maintenance, and an understanding of the purpose and frequency of usage, help points will not meet passenger expectations or support train and station operators in driving broader customer service improvement.’