Transport Focus recommendations

Three key recommendations to ease the pain for passengers of rail strikes have been made by Transport Focus.

In a report, National Rail Strikes June 2022: The Passenger Experience, the users’ body says the rail industry should:

■ Consider how to compensate season ticket holders who do not travel on non-strike days because of a late start to the service, or do travel on a strike day (or the day following), but arrive significantly later than normal as a result of a late start to the service

■ Clarify in the National Rail Conditions of Travel that if a passenger is entitled to a refund for their unused outward ticket, they can also have their money back on the ticket for their return leg (or vice versa)

■ Increase efforts to help passengers understand when the service will start later, or finish earlier, including on the day after strike action. This should include publicising the last trains back.

In advance of and during the strikes, Transport Focus spoke to passengers to understand the impact on them and, if they had travelled, their experiences.

“Most people clearly heeded the message to travel only if necessary and those who did reported a good journey with plenty of staff on hand to help” says Transport Focus CEO Anthony Smith.

Report at: bit.ly/3PfBo3V

ALAMY. ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan gives evidence related to rail strikes to the Transport Select Committee on July 13. Although progress has been made in a pay dispute with ScotRail, the union has opted to take strike action against eight different operators on July 30.