Ref:31/09 Date: 29 June 2009Release:Embargoed 30 June 2009 9.30am
The majority (89%) of ScotRail’s passengers are satisfied with their overall rail journey, the Spring 2009 National Passenger Survey (NPS) has revealed today.
Commenting on the NPS, Passenger Focus said that across Scotland overall satisfaction with rail services was generally higher than the GB average of 81%. National Express East Coast received a score of 87%, Virgin Trainsan 86% approval rate, First TransPennine Express 87% and CrossCountry 85%.
However, punctuality and reliability continue to cause concerns for some passengers. For example, following the problems on the West Coast Mainline, satisfaction with punctuality and reliability has fallen by six points to 79% on Virgin Trains. The independent passenger watchdog is calling on Network Rail and the train operators to focus on problematic routes to restore passenger faith.
Passengers reported that on ScotRail services the helpfulness and attitude of staff on the train (79%) had improved, satisfaction with station facilities and services were up 10 points to 58% and the overall station environment up seven points to 79%.
Robert Samson, Passenger Focus manager for Scotland, said: “Once again passengers have told us train operators in Scotland are doing a good job but there is still room for improvement. Train operators should listen to customer views, both positive and negative and strive for even better results.”
James King, Passenger Focus Scottish board member, agreed “While the scores in Scotland are better than the GB average, the old chestnuts of how well ScotRail deals with delays, on-train toilet facilities and car parking facilities still require improvement. Passengers have told us repeatedly that there continue to be issues on the railway and we will be urging ScotRail and the rail industry to address these concerns as a priority.”
ENDS
Key results for train operators that serve Scotland include:
Operators in Scotland / % satisfied or good (+/- indicates if this is a significant improvement or decline compared to Spring 08)ScotRail / National Express East Coast / CrossCountry / Virgin Trains / First TransPennine Express
STATION FACILITIES
Overall satisfaction / 89 / 87 / 85 / 86 / 87 (+4)
Ticket buying facilities / 83 / 79 / 84 / 81 / 81
Provision of information about train times/platforms / 84 / 90 / 86 (+5) / 87 / 85
The upkeep/ repair of the station buildings/ platforms / 80 / 67 / 68 (+8) / 70 / 75
Cleanliness / 83 (+5) / 72 / 75 (+6) / 74 / 80
Facilities and services at stations / 58 (+10) / 59 / 64 / 64 / 64
The attitudes and helpfulness of station staff / 79 / 74 / 79 / 74 / 72
Connections with other forms of public transport / 68 / 75 (-7) / 73 / 79 / 73
Facilities for car parking / 47 / 55 (+9) / 59 / 46 / 43
Overall station environment / 79 (+7) / 69 / 74 (+7) / 70 / 76
Your personal security whilst using station facilities / 75 / 71 / 73 / 71 / 73
The availability of staff / 69 / 65 / 67 / 61 / 64
How a request to station staff was handled / 89 / 87 / 87 / 86 / 86
TRAIN FACILITIES
The frequency of the trains on that route / 84 / 90 / 80 / 85 / 81
Punctuality/ reliability / 86 / 89 / 87 (+9) / 79 (-6) / 84 (+7)
The length of time the journey was scheduled to take (speed) / 89 / 90 / 86 / 92 (+5) / 87
Connections with other train services / 78 / 78 / 77 / 77 / 72
The value for money for the price of your ticket / 55 / 54 / 51 / 57 / 52
Up keep and repair of the train / 79 / 79 / 83 / 90 / 91
The provision of information during the journey / 77 / 77 / 79 (+5) / 80 / 81
The helpfulness and attitude of staff on the train / 79 (+8) / 77 / 80 (+5) / 76 / 76
Space for luggage / 64 / 56 / 51 / 51 / 53
The toilet facilities / 48 (+9) / 45 / 55 / 56 / 59
Sufficient room for all passengers to sit/stand / 76 / 75 / 72 (+11) / 77 (+11) / 68
Comfort of the seating area / 78 / 76 / 79 (+4) / 80 / 83
The ease of being able to get on and off / 88 / 78 / 81 / 84 / 86
Your personal security whilst on board the train / 86 / 82 / 80 / 85 / 84
The cleanliness of the inside / 80 / 82 / 82 / 88 / 86
The cleanliness of the outside / 73 / 77 / 79 (+5) / 82 / 83
The availability of staff / 69 / 63 / 67 (+8) / 66 / 67
How well the train company dealt with delays / 35 / 62 / 52 / 54 / 38 (-17)
2. Full results of the Spring 2009 wave of the National Passenger Survey are available to download from
- Over 26,000 passengers are surveyed for each wave of the National Passenger Survey. Two waves (spring and autumn) are conducted each year
- The National Passenger Survey provides a network-wide picture of passengers’ satisfaction with rail travel. Passenger opinions of train services are collected twice a year from a representative sample of passenger journeys
- Passengers’ overall satisfaction and satisfaction with 30 specific aspects of service can therefore be compared over time
- Fieldwork took place between 31 January and 9 April 2009
- Ratings for each individual Train Operating Company are available, as well as ratings for each sector, i.e. London and the South East, long distance and regional operators.
3. Media enquiries regarding this release should be addressed to:
Krista Hamblin
Press Officer
Telephone: 0370 336 6020
E-mail
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