Trains, Twitter and the social licence to operate: An analysis of Twitter use by train operating companies in the United Kingdom

Social media has become a platform for passenger train operating companies to share information and engage with their customers. Twitter, in particular, is used by operators to provide live service updates and engage with their customers. A gap in the literature exists regarding the concept of the social license to operate, where organisations engage with stakeholders to gain legitimacy of their operations, within the transportation industry. Further, there is a lack of literature on the use of social media by private train operating companies. This article fills a gap in the literature regarding the use of Twitter by private passenger train operating companies and use of this social media platform for obtaining a social license to operate from customers. Therefore, the aim of this research is to understand how the functions of Twitter use by private train operating companies in the United Kingdom can serve as a means to obtain a social license to operate through an analysis of their Twitter accounts, tweets, and policies. The findings indicate 1) that Twitter is primarily a tool for communication and engagement with their customers; 2) as Twitter functions evolved, providing customer service has become a key function; and 3) the key elements of the social license to operate: legitimacy, credibility, and trust; can be obtained through customer engagement using Twitter.