Record satisfaction with rail services masks huge variations

A record 84% of passengers are satisfied with train services, Passenger Focus’s autumn 2010 National Passenger Survey has shown. However, the watchdog pointed out that the survey took place prior to disruption caused by the severe winter weather, and that results for next year could be hit by the 6% average fare rises introduced in January 2011. It also said that there was large variation in the ratings given to train operating companies.

Franchised operators with the most satisfied passengers were Merseyrail (93%), c2c (91%), Chiltern Railways and Virgin Trains (90%). East Midlands Trains was the most improved operator with its score jumping from 84% to 88%. Franchised operators with the least satisfied customers were First Capital Connect (76%), National Express East Anglia (79%) and Southeastern (80%). The biggest decline in satisfaction was at First ScotRail where satisfaction fell from 90% to 86%.

The largest improvement in any individual area of service was value for money which improved from 45% to 49% as a result of the fares freeze in January 2010.

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Passenger Focus will present "A Strategic Appraoch to Passenger Data" covering the ongoing developments around the National Passenger Survey in particular the release of a second tier of route based data at LTT's Open Data & Transport  event on 22 Feb 2011.