UK: Software developer Transreport says that data from its upgraded Passenger Assistance booking system suggests that the market for travel by disabled and older people is higher than had previously been thought, as until now data has reflected ease of access to the booking system rather than the underlying demand.
Transport has developed Ask PA, an AI-assisted agent embedded within the Passenger Assistance system. This enables passengers to ask accessibility questions and manage assistance bookings directly via the WhatsApp messaging platform, which is widely used in the UK and has strong adoption across older demographics. Transreport said ‘by operating within an established channel passengers already use daily, Ask PA removes friction at the earliest stage of journey planning’.
Users can create, view and cancel bookings, and request station-specific accessibility information 24/7 and in multiple languages. Transreport stresses that the AI agent ‘operates within established rail governance structures’, and is not outside or ‘layered superficially on top’ of them. Every interaction is linked to the passenger’s existing Passenger Assistance account and the operational workflow used by frontline teams, with audit trails, escalation pathways and operator oversight remaining fully intact.
Low-friction way to engage
Early data from Ask PA shows demand exceeding projections, which is not due to a shift from using call centres, but because previously disengaged passengers now have a low-friction way to engage.
Until now demand for assisted travel has been assessed primarily through booking volumes and call centre activity, but Transreport says its live data indicates that this has structurally under-measured true need; for many passengers, the critical decision point is not when booking help, but much earlier at the moment they decide whether to travel at all.
It says the average Passenger Assistance user travels by rail four to six times per year. Journeys require planning, confidence and trust in delivery, and when no immediate, accessible channel exists to answer questions, the dominant outcome is not a call to the helpline, it is not to travel by train. This means that historic contact volumes have measured ease of access to the system, not the underlying demand for assistance.
‘Assisted travel delivery is operationally complex and subject to increasing scrutiny’, said Jay Shen, CEO and Founder of Transreport which now handles assistance requests for 30 train operators in Great Britain and Japan. ‘Ask PA introduces AI in a controlled, accountable framework. It reduces manual handling and improves clarity for passengers while preserving the structured operational control operators depend on. Earlier engagement provides operators with better demand visibility and stronger delivery confidence.’
