Passenger satisfaction falls in latest watchdog survey
PASSENGER satisfaction has fallen in the past year, according to Transport Focus’ (TF) latest National Rail Passenger Survey, released on June 19.
The survey shows that 81% of passengers rated their journeys as satisfactory, down two percentage points from the same period in 2017. The proportion of passengers satisfied with punctuality and reliability fell by five percentage points to 72%, while those feeling that their journeys represented good value for money dropping to 47% (from 49%).
Grand Central and Heathrow Express topped the passenger satisfaction ratings with an overall figure of 95%: of the franchised train operators, Merseyrail (92%), Chiltern (90%) and Virgin Trains West Coast (89%) made up the remainder of the top five.
At the other end of the scale, Southern and TfL Rail recorded the lowest overall satisfaction ratings at 69%, with Southeastern registering a figure of 75%, Greater Anglia 76% and Great Northern 78%. However, Thameslink’s rating rose by 11% year-on-year to 86% – the only operator to register an annual improvement.
No operator received a significant improvement in perceived value for money compared with the year before, but c2c, CrossCountry, Gatwick Express, London Overground, ScotRail and South Western Railway all recorded what TF classed as ‘significant declines’. A similar picture applies to satisfaction with punctuality, with only Thameslink receiving an improvement, up 14% to 79%. Satisfaction with levels of crowding and stations was flat or lower for all operators, as was the way train companies deal with delays.
The survey results for 18 operators showed no year-onyear improvements in passenger satisfaction, but within these some categories were rated as better than in the autumn of 2017.
These include punctuality and frequency on Gatwick Express; staff availability and more onboard power sockets (a recurring theme throughout the results) on Heathrow Express; better connections on Northern; higherrated station staff helpfulness, availability of station wi-fi and connections with other services on ScotRail; significant improvements in station car parking and train upkeep for TransPennine Express; and better luggage storage, onboard toilet facilities, internet and power sockets on Virgin Trains West Coast.
Eight operators had aspects of their service rated as ‘better than a year before’: these included power sockets for Great Northern, Great Western, Heathrow Connect, South Western Railway and Thameslink, as well as better luggage space, journey times, crowding and internet provision on Great Western. On Thameslink, train frequency, punctuality, journey times, connections, upkeep of trains, onboard and station information, luggage space, train toilets, seat comfort and train cleanliness were all rated by passengers as having improved.
The most important factor in providing a satisfactory journey remains punctuality and reliability, with 36% of those surveyed rating it as the top requirement. The biggest contributor to dissatisfaction is how train operators deal with delays, with 44% citing that as the most important factor.
TF claims that poor weather conditions earlier in 2018 had a major impact on passenger satisfaction ratings, with chief executive Anthony Smith saying: “In the middle of widespread disruption on the roads, buses and elsewhere during the recent bad weather, parts of the rail industry did well to run trains at all, let alone to a timetable. Inevitably, passenger satisfaction was also buffeted by the weather.
“However, overall, looking at this ten-week period we saw more general rail performance still under stress. A reliable railway remains the key driver of passenger satisfaction.”