Contentful CMS for NRE & new industry website

NRE is the UK's most used digital channel used by more customers, more often, than any other UK digital channel - it is a vital part of the UK's rail infrastructure. NRE and the new website have been built on Contentful. Contentful is a modern, headless CMS and forms the foundation and backbone of NRE architecture.

NRE uses Contentful API based technology to serve a React and NextJS front end for desktop, mobile web and iOS and Android Apps.

o Hosted on RDG's AWS instance.

o Contentful also integrates seamlessly with core RDG rail systems including Darwin and RTJP, Fares Finder and IDMS.

o Integrated with RDG upstream and downstream technology systems including Cloudflare, Algolia, Google Tag Manager and Google Ad Manager technology within the tech stack aligned to RDG's architecture principles.

o Contentful used to create rail industry feeds with seven critical information APIs known as the Knowledgebase feeds. These are: Stations, Incidents, Ticket Restrictions, Ticket types, Operators, Promotions and National Service Indicator.

o Feeds are consumed by TOCs and TPRs as core information feeds

Replacing Contentful with an alternative CMS is technically extremely complicated and would require an architecture and technology transformation within RDG and reintegration of the feeds by DFTO and Open Access, and devolved nation TOCs.

Such a transformation is possible but with high levels of technically complex, high risk, high cost and organisationally disruptive transformation with cost and continuity impacts on a range of other RDG systems and suppliers.

Technical dependency and incompatibility evidence

Contentful underpins:

• Content models and structured data used across NRE and and the new website
• API-based delivery to web, mobile web, and native applications
• Integration with Darwin, RTJP, fares systems, IDMS and Knowledgebase APIs
• Integration with AWS hosting, Cloudflare, Algolia and analytics tooling
• Publishing workflows, permissions models, and governance processes

Replacement with an alternative CMS would require:

• Migration of all structured content and content models
• Rebuild of APIs and downstream data feeds used by TOCs and third parties
• Redesign of integrations with multiple internal and external systems
• Full regression testing across all digital channels
• Reconfiguration of operational editorial workflows and governance

These changes would produce a technically different solution and create material incompatibility with existing services, consistent with Schedule 5 paragraph 7.

The CMS market

In 2020/21 RDG conducted a procurement exercise for the best enterprise level CMS for NRE. Contentful was selected against a range of criteria, including cost, technical fit to architecture principles and longevity, in competition with a range of market leading enterprise CMS providers, including Sitecore, Adobe and Episerver, as well as a range of opensource options including Drupal and two proprietary CMS's.

Organisational context

RDG and NRE as part of it, is transitioning to GBR through 2027 and GBR online retail is expected to go live in October 2027.

Replacing Contentful

From the explanation above, it should be clear that technically Contentful can be replaced, but only through the wholesale redevelopment of NRE, re-building and re-integrating critical industry feeds with all independent and government owner train operators. The approximate costs of which are discussed below.

It should be noted that in the event of an alternative CMS being successful in a procurement exercise that is not supported by RDG's incumbent Delivery delivery partner, RDG would also be required to replace the Delivery delivery partner. This is turn should be carried out via a further procurement process.

If Contentful is to be replaced, NRE website and iOS and Android Apps would need to be re-platformed / rebuilt and architected. In addition, new knowledgebase feeds would have to be rebuilt and reintegrated with all TOCs and TRPs either directly or via RDM.

Estimating the cost of such an exercise is difficult. Development costs of NRE were significant in 2021 with a further costs for both the iOS and Android Apps in 2024. Continuous improvement (enhancements and development) has been in progress since 2021 at a high cost per annum. The re-platform costs would be likely to reach at least 75% of this total . Additional RDG costs would be incurred to resource the new development and dual run with the existing team. Over an 18 month development project the resource costs alone would be significant.