HUNDREDS of train guards will soon have all the latest travel information in the palm of their hands as rail bosses dish out smartphones to those on the frontline.

South West Trains has announced that it will be handing out the hi-tech BlackBerry devices to more than 850 guards, station managers and platform staff to help reassure passengers facing delays.

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The move is a response to feedback from passengers, demanding better, upto- date information during times of disruption on the tracks.

It comes less than a month after commuters were warned of an eight per cent hike in fares, a move that could see the cost of an annual season ticket from Southampton Central to London Waterloo soar by £313 to £4,233 next year. The inflation-busting prices were revealed as the Government announced plans to increase fares so that rail passengers, not taxpayers, pay for improvements.

The roll-out of the smartphones will begin later this month, giving staff access to the internal Live Departure Board, which has much more detail, as well as other travel information websites, such as National Rail Enquiries and Transport for London to help with queries about connections.

South West Trains (SWT) also has plans to launch a mobile version of its website, which will be easily accessible for both staff and commuters on their phones. SWT would not reveal the cost of the scheme, only saying that it involved “significant investment”.

Andy Pitt, managing director for South West Trains, said: “As one of the busiest commuter rail networks in Europe, we know how important it is to provide timely, accurate and good quality information to the thousands of passengers who use our services every day.

“Our passengers are generally very pleased with the punctual service we offer, but we know from their feedback that we need to provide better information during times of disruption.

“This package of investment means that every single South West Trains service will have a guard with access to the most up-to-date information to keep passengers informed.”

The smartphones initiative promises to bring significant improvements from the old pager system, which they are replacing.

The move has been welcomed by passenger groups, who have been calling for better communication between train staff and commuters for years.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Passenger Focus, said: “This is welcome news. Giving smartphones to frontline staff will help get accurate information to passengers quickly.

“Passengers understand that sometimes things go wrong but what they want is to know what’s happened, how long it’s going to take to fix and when they are going to get moving again.”