Passenger info
Office of Rail and Road says train operators are making strides in improving the delivery of information to passengers.
TRAIN operators are making progress in improving the delivery of information during times of disruption.
That is the conclusion of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), as it published its findings into how the rail industry is meeting obligations to provide accurate and timely information, help disabled passengers, manage complaints and comply with consumer law. According to the ORR’s
Measuring up report, South West Trains is the furthest ahead in delivering its programme, completing 73% of the actions in its plan.
The findings show wide variations between train operators in terms of the number of complaints and how they are handled - some are meeting targets to respond to 95% of complaints within 20 working days, but others are falling significantly short.
In terms of responding to complaints within 20 working days (some operators have set themselves higher targets), Southeastern topped the table with a 100% record since 201415. A number of other operators recorded scores above 95% in this category.
Research conducted by the Association of Train Operating Companies between early December 2015 and the end of February 2016 suggests that 37% of passengers felt delays or cancellations were handled ‘very poorly’, with another 17% describing performance as ‘fairly poor’. Some 18% of passengers surveyed regarded the way their train operator dealt with delays as ‘fairly well’ and 8% as ‘very well’.
However, the ORR says its findings indicate that satisfaction is more closely linked with the length of delays rather than the information provided, and that information provision was rated as poor “particularly when given at stations”. It argues that further surveys will be necessary to assess whether overall performance is improving or declining.
The Measuring up report also highlights the need for improvements in ticket vending machines, such as providing clearer information on ticket restrictions and less use of jargon.
The highest number of complaints per 100,000 passenger journeys was Grand Central (296.6 in the second quarter of 201516), although this figure also includes compensation claims so the complaints-only figure could be lower. The lowest was London Overground with 4.4.
Announcing the report, ORR Director of Railway Markets and Economics John Larkinson said: “Our new consumer report dramatically increases the transparency of how the rail companies are meeting their obligations to provide accurate and timely information, help disabled passengers, manage complaints and comply with consumer law.”
But Transport Focus Passenger Director David Sidebottom said: “We’ve called for more from the industry to build trust by making more information available to passengers, so they will welcome this.
“However, operators still have work to do to show that they are truly on the side of the passenger.”
Consumer body Which? was more critical than Sidebottom. Director of Policy and Campaigns Alex Neill said: “This is further evidence of train companies letting their customers down. It clearly shows why the Government needs to introduce a simple, effective route for passengers to get redress when things go wrong.
“We want to see the introduction of a statutory compensation scheme and for the regulator to be given the powers it needs to effectively hold the train companies to account when they breach licence conditions and consumer law.” @AndyRoden1
■ The full report is available at http://orr.gov.uk/publications/ reports/annual-rail-consumer-report