Edinburgh Trams scores highly in light rail survey

Edinburgh Trams has the most satisfied light rail passengers in the country, with 99% of those surveyed by Transport Focus (TF) claiming to be happy with their journeys.

Six light rail networks were surveyed by TF, and all scored satisfaction levels of 90% or greater. Midland Metro showed the greatest improvement, up from 82% in 2015 to 92% in 2016. Only Sheffield Supertram showed a decline in passenger satisfaction, although its level was still 91%.

The most important factor for passengers is punctuality, with satisfaction overall rising by two percentage points (pp) to 88%. Walking time to and from tram stops also improved, up 4pp to 88%.

Satisfaction with value for money remained stable at 69%, while 87% of passengers said they were satisfied with connections with other modes of transport. In terms of journey types, 39% of tram passengers use light rail to commute, while another 8% use them to get to schools, colleges and universities.

“Tram travel is becoming a benchmark for excellence in transport success,” said TF Director David Sidebottom.

“But there are challenges which the tram operators should manage in future to maintain their high satisfaction scores. Expansion of the network in certain places causes some reduction in satisfaction, particularly if the subsequent disruption is not handled well. Once complete, satisfaction normally rises, but operators should not take this for granted.

“The other challenge arises from these expansions. As we have seen on four networks (Manchester, Nottingham, West Midlands and Sheffield), they become more popular and then more congested.

“The satisfaction rating on the amount of personal space has fallen since last year. If they don’t manage the demands of their success, satisfaction with services may fall and they could even lose passengers.”