UK Railway News..... 29th June 2012

ATOC

Overall satisfaction with rail services near record levels

28/06/2012

In response to the publication of the latest National Passenger Survey, Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), said:

“Overall passenger satisfaction is still at near record levels with over a third of all categories surveyed showing improvements year on year. But, despite this progress, train companies understand that there is no room for complacency.

“Satisfaction has risen significantly in areas such as information on train times, personal security and the availability of staff to help passengers. This reflects the hard work of train companies in providing better services that are attracting more and more people to rail.

“We recognise that value for money scores remain lower than others and that is why the railways are already focussed on tackling costs as well as improving services.”


But.......

Passenger Focus survey results ....

Value for money? Mixed feelings from Britain’s rail passengers

28th June 2012

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Satisfaction with Britain’s railways holds up at 83% of passengers satisfied overall with their journey. However, this overall figure masks enormous variations on different routes and widely differing value for money scores.
Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, said: “Well done to London Midland, Merseyrail and Heathrow Connect, all of whom improved significantly. Particularly impressive was London Midlands’ whopping 17% rise in how they dealt with delays. Greater Anglia (previously National Express East Anglia) will be well aware of the work needed to boost passenger satisfaction.”
Key findings include:

• First Capital Connect (FCC) passengers noticing improvements at stations.
• East Midlands Trains recording some good gains both on train and at stations.
• Overall satisfaction scores on individual routes varied from 97% (Merseyrail – Wirral) to 70% (FCC – Thameslink South and Greater Anglia* – Metro) with value for money satisfaction ranging from 75% (ScotRail – Rural) to 23% (Greater Anglia – Mainline) on those routes.
• Satisfaction with value for money dipping to 42% from 44% in Spring 2011.
• Passengers using different tickets giving very disparate scores for value for money.
• Comparing the views of Advance and Off-Peak ticket holders who think that the railway is reasonably good value, with Season ticket holders who do not. For example, value for money scores for Advance tickets on CrossCountry and Virgin Trains were 64% and 68%, while the scores for Annual Season tickets on Southeastern and South West Trains were 12% and 23% (respectively).

Mr Smith, added: “Annual Season ticket holders, particularly in London and the South East, despite having regulated fares, unsurprisingly do not think their tickets represent value for money. The industry must keep its focus on getting the trains on time while Government must think very carefully about the forthcoming decision on the rate of rises for regulated fares. The message from passengers is clear.”
It is interesting to note bus passenger value for money scores in the March 2012 Passenger Focus Bus Passenger Survey. Satisfaction with value for money among fare-paying bus passengers ranged from 39% to 68% across the 23 areas of England surveyed.

Leaves on the line..?

(From Christian Wolmar)

NR needs to be more sensitive but leaves must be kept off the line.

Network Rail has brought out the fierce Amazonian tribesman in many of us. From Whitstable to the Wirral, the company responsible for the nation’s railway infrastructure has been accused of chopping down trees in a cavalier fashion with no regard for the environment. The RSPB yesterday claimed that Network Rail’s tree-cutting policy menaces 1.5 million birds’ nests found in the greenery of rail embankments.
There is no doubt that, as admitted by Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s managing director of operations, the company has occasionally transgressed by cutting more than necessary. For example, the line next to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in North London is now in full view of the crowds, whereas previously it was shielded by tangled foliage that muffled the noise from the trains and provided a habitat for wildlife quite far from the tracks.
However, the idea that Network Rail is endangering a substantial proportion of Britain’s bird life is a tale straight out of Thomas the Tank Engine. The RSPB’s “conservative estimate” would suggest that there are 150 nests alongside every mile of Britain’s railway lines and that Network Rail has its eyes on all of them.
They may sound like a music hall joke, but “leaves on the line” are a serious issue.
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