CitySwift, the data operating layer for major global transport networks, today announced a new partnership with Falcon Coaches, the independent bus operator based in Surrey. Falcon will use CitySwift across 45 buses on its local bus network to plan, test and update schedules in minutes rather than weeks.
Every schedule update at Falcon is built by hand, a laborious process where a single change can take a couple of weeks to prepare. The team only finds out whether it works once buses are on the road, and some routes take three or four attempts to get right.
With CitySwift, Falcon's team stays in charge of every schedule decision and gets there far faster. They will build runtimes from how the network actually performs, then use simulations to test the impact of each change before it goes live. Schedule updates move from a cycle of trial and error to an evidence-based decision, giving passengers more reliable journeys and giving Falcon's local authority partners confidence in every change.
Falcon already uses CitySwift as part of its Transport for London contract. This partnership extends the platform across the rest of its local bus network.
"As an independent operator, we have a small team, and every schedule change currently means weeks of manual work," said Richard Telling, Managing Director of Falcon Coaches Ltd. "We often don't know a change is right until the buses are out on the road. With CitySwift, we can test changes before they go live and get them right the first time. That means a more reliable service for our passengers and the councils we work with, and more time for our team to focus on growing our network."
"Independent operators run some of the most important bus services in the country, often with the smallest teams," said Alan Farrelly, CCO and Co-founder of CitySwift. "Falcon is investing in data to make every timetable change count. We're looking forward to supporting Richard and the team as they bring their schedules closer to how the road really runs."
