Future Labs, AWS & Rail Data Marketplace: Hack the Rail Experience
The UK rail industry is at a turning point. Customer satisfaction is still measured through post-journey surveys - retrospective snapshots that tell us what went wrong long after the moment has passed. What if we could change that?
Future Labs, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Rail Data Marketplace (RDM) are bringing together a select group of innovators, technologists, and problem-solvers for a one-day hackathon tackling one of the most pressing challenges in UK rail: real-time customer experience health monitoring.
The challenge
How might we determine real-time customer satisfaction levels during a journey and use those insights to take in-the-moment action? From overcrowding and toilet availability to WiFi connectivity and onboard services, the signals are there. By harnessing social media and listening to proactive complaint insights, we can spot and resolve disruption-related experience issues before they ever reach the customer. As customer expectations continue to shift at pace, how do we ensure the industry constantly adapts to remain at the forefront of the customer experience
The question is: how do we capture them, interpret them, and act on them before a negative experience becomes a lost customer?
Teams will work with real datasets spanning operational data, onboard services, station facilities, and external factors - building solutions that could genuinely shape the future of rail.
Please note, the final datasets will be announced at a later date.
What to expect
A focused, high-energy day hosted at AWS's London office, with technical support from AWS engineers, expert advisors from Future Labs, and a judging panel drawn from senior figures across the rail industry. The winning team will receive a prize from AWS as well as the opportunity to discuss piloting their solution with industry experts.
📅 Wednesday 8th April 2026
🕙 10:00am – 4:00pm (networking drinks to follow)
📍 Amazon UK Headquarters, 1 Principal Place, London, EC2A 2FA
🍽️ Coffee, snacks, lunch, and networking drinks provided
💰 $5k in AWS credits for the winning team
How to secure your spot
This is a private, invite-only event with a limited number of places. To be considered, register your interest below and tell us about yourself and the idea you'd bring to the challenge. Submissions will be reviewed by the organising team, and successful applicants will be notified by email. Please ensure to register your interest by Friday 27th March. Successful applicants will be contacted by Wednesday 1st April.
Registering your interest does not guarantee a place. We'll be in touch once your application has been reviewed.
We look forward to hearing your pitch.
The Future Labs & AWS Team
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Please be aware your invite may not come through instantaneously. Allow a couple of hours for a confirmation email to arrive in your inbox.