Stay Competitive. Be Compliant. Fit the SIM
For coach operators and rail replacement aggregators who need passenger information onboard that just works, whatever the fleet looks like on any given day.
SmartCoach gives rail replacement coaches the accessible passenger information they need onboard, without a single vehicle rebuild. Built by ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ with Department for Transport funding through Innovate UK, it’s designed specifically for the mixed fleets, subcontracted vehicles, and short notice changes that define rail replacement work.
ⓘ New rules for rail replacement vehicles
From 31 July 2026, the exemption for rail replacement vehicles under the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 ends. Rail replacement vehicles must: Include clear audible next stop announcements and provide visible onboard route and stop information
Flexible hardware
SmartCoach works with your existing screens and speakers where suitable, or with approved low cost devices where it is not. Built for subcontracted and mixed vehicle fleets, it scales from a handful of coaches to a full operation.
Compliant by design
Every deployment aligns with the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 and the RTIG047 industry standard, so you can meet your obligations without needing to become an expert in them.
Grant eligible
Eligible operators can claim back up to 75% of the cost, worth up to £2,000 per vehicle, through a Department for Transport grant supporting accessible rail replacement equipment. Read the full grant eligibility and terms on GOV.UK
Same information, every vehicle, every time
Coach operators running rail replacement services are required to provide clear audible and visible passenger information onboard, yet fixed onboard systems were never built for fleets where vehicles, drivers, and routes change daily. That gap leaves many operators exposed to falling out of step with their obligations to train operating companies, rail replacement aggregators, and the passengers who depend on that information most. SmartCoach closes it by delivering:
✓ Clear audible next stop announcements
✓ A visible onboard route and stop display
✓ Full alignment with the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023
✓ One system, configured centrally, so every vehicle in your fleet delivers it consistently
Buy SmartCoach
Choose the plan that works for your fleet.
Our 3 year plan offers the best value: pay £2,666.66 per vehicle instead of £3,420, saving £753.34, guaranteed. Eligible operators can also claim back up to 75% through the Department for Transport grant, worth up to £2,000 per vehicle*, bringing your net cost down to as little as £666.66 per vehicle over 3 years, just £18.52 per vehicle, per month.
Includes an Android headunit and induction loop, plus support from our team for configuration and setup. Requires an existing PA system, screen, and wiring loom already fitted in the vehicle.
* This saving applies to the 3 year upfront plan only. Eligible operators can claim up to 75% back, worth up to £2,000 per vehicle, through the Department for Transport’s Transferable Audio-Visual Equipment on Rail Replacement Coaches grant.
Read the full eligibility and terms on GOV.UK
How it works for your operations team
SmartCoach runs from a single web based operator dashboard, so your team can see and manage the whole fleet from one screen rather than juggling vehicle by vehicle. Set up routes, stops, and messages once, and they carry across every coach on that service. When something changes on the day, a diversion, a delayed connection, a temporary stop, your team updates it centrally and every onboard display and announcement updates with it, in real time. That’s the difference between fixing information vehicle by vehicle and managing an entire rail replacement operation from one place, whether it’s a planned engineering weekend or a change that lands with no warning at all.
- One dashboard – See and manage your whole fleet from one screen
- Routes and stops – Set up once, and it carries across every coach
- Real time updates – Changes update everywhere, instantly
- Any disruption – Planned engineering work or last minute changes, handled the same way
“SmartCoach lets us give every rail replacement passenger the same clear, accessible information, whatever vehicle they are on. We have taken something that used to be a real operational headache and made it simple.”
Andrew Steele, Chief Operating Officer, You. Smart. Thing.
Need more information?
Book a call with our team and we’ll walk you through exactly what SmartCoach means for your fleet, from hardware options to getting compliant before the deadline.
Want the full story first? Read our blog post on how SmartCoach was developed, from the original accessibility challenge on rail replacement services through to the finished platform.
SmartCoach was developed by You. Smart. Thing. with Department for Transport funding through Innovate UK, for coach operators and rail replacement aggregators, in 2025.
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