Trust and honesty are important requirements for the railway companies and organizations according to Passenger Focus and the Financial Times. Midland Metro gets ready to introduce the first of its new CAF tram sets...
And a tragic accident in Dublin....
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Headlines
UK
Borders Railway tracklaying begins - Railway Gazette
Be honest about Network Rail’s £34bn debt.(FT.com)
Transport Secretary pressed for 'better roads and railways' on visit to South West.(Western Morning News)
Balfour Beatty snubs third Carillion proposal.(insider media)
‘Card clash’ hits 2,000 Tube commuters a day.(London Evening Standard)
Northern Rail one of the least trusted train companies in the country.(Telegraph & Argus)
Northern off-peak tickets decision arouses anger.(Railnews)
Train firms 'could improve trust'.(Mail Online)
What relationship do passengers have with train companies?(Passenger Focus)
14th August 2014
To improve passengers’ trust in the rail industry, train companies not only need to get the basic service right day-to-day, they need to put effort into building long-term relationships with their passengers. This is a main finding of the most recent Passenger Focus research, Passengers’ relationship with the rail industry, published today1.
Passengers are broadly as positive towards the rail industry as they are to supermarkets and airlines, and higher than towards banks or energy companies.
Each year we measure passengers’ satisfaction with their individual rail journeys2. We wanted to understand why this can differ from passengers’ overall perception of the rail industry, generally informed by the media and word of mouth.
The research found that some individual train companies (TOCs) are well trusted. But there are others, particularly some of those operating in London and the South East, that inspire less trust and, at best, more ambivalence in passengers.
Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus’s chief executive, said:
“There is much that train companies - and governments - can do to improve trust. It is important for train companies to get the basic service right ahead of everything else. Then building on closer relationships with their passengers is important. One way is through high quality communication. Passengers should feel that train companies are ‘on their side. We believe these issues should become part of new franchises.’”
Trust consists of three elements: service, relationship and judgement. Service elements affect day-to-day issues such as punctuality, reliability, helpfulness of staff and value for money. They are the foundations for building passengers’ trust. Also, they are features increasingly being incorporated into new railway franchises.
Relationship factors are important to focus on to build trust once the service elements are in place. Some train companies have developed good relationships with their passengers. Communicating directly and proactively with passengers goes down well with them. Particular problem areas for communication identified by the research are confusion over ticketing options and when there are delays or cancellations. Communicating honestly, and with integrity and transparency can inspire trust.
Many train companies score well on the third trust element – judgement. They are seen to have high principles, a good reputation and show leadership. However, judgement does not contribute as much to trust as service and relationship.
ends.
Notes :
- Click the links below to download the relevant document:
Executive summary
Passenger confidence qualitative research
Rail passenger trust survey quantitative research - The National Rail Passenger Survey, which Passenger Focus publishes twice a year, measures passengers’ satisfaction overall and on a range of measures. The most recent report is here.
Steam train to connect historic Watercress and Bluebell railways for the first time.(Hampshire Chronicle)
New Midland Metro trams go into service.(Centro)
The first of a £40 million fleet of new Midland Metro trams will start running between Wolverhampton and Birmingham on Friday September 5, it was announced today (Aug 14).
The four new trams, which are bigger and offer a smoother, quieter ride than the existing models, are part of a 20-strong fleet coming into service over the next few months.
The deployment of the sleek, Urbos 3 trams also marks the start of a bright new chapter for the Metro with construction due for completion next year of an extension through Birmingham city centre linking the Snow Hill and New Street stations.
One of the new Urbos 3 trams set to go into service on September 5
(C) Centro.
Preliminary ground works have also started on a second extension from New Street Station to Centenary Square while the Government earmarked more than £90 million last month towards two further routes along Broad Street to Edgbaston, just west of Five Ways, and to the planned high speed rail station in the city's Eastside district.
The business case for the Wolverhampton Interchange project, which includes a Metro extension to the city's bus and rail stations, was also submitted earlier this month.
Cllr Roger Lawrence, chairman of the West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority, said: "The Midland Metro has a key role to play in providing the transport connections we need to help our region grow and prosper.
"That's why the introduction of these new trams and the forthcoming extensions are such good news for the economy as well as for passengers who can now look forward to a more frequent and comfortable service."
Each new tram, built by Spanish manufacturer CAF, is a third bigger than the existing 16-strong fleet of Ansaldo Trasporti models, carrying 210 passengers compared to 156.
As the number of new trams being deployed increases it will also be possible for public transport co-ordinator Centro to step up the frequency of the Metro to every six minutes throughout the day.
This will boost overall capacity by 40 per cent, easing the overcrowding that can sometimes occur at peak times due to the Metro's popularity.
Meanwhile at least one new tram is arriving each month at the Midland Metro depot in Wednesbury from CAF's factory in Zaragoza. The trams then undergo extensive testing and commissioning before they can be put into service.
As the further Metro extensions are built the tram fleet will need to be expanded further. The current agreement with CAF allows Centro to order up to 25 new trams in total.
Ireland
£17m EU funds for refurbishment of Belfast-Dublin railway.(BBC News)
Woman dies after falling in front of Dublin train.(BBC News)
USA
www.progressiverailroading.com
Siemens Rail Automation expands to meet PTC demand - Railway Gazette
Other Railway Press Releases
SmartRail World
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