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Today's publication by the Rail Regulator of new figures recording an 8% rise in passenger complaints to train operating companies shows that there is still much to be done to improve quality of service on the railway. The figures must be viewed against a continuing rise in the numbers of people travelling by rail - up around 5% in the same period.
Commenting on the findings of the latest Rail Complaints Bulletin, Nick Newton, the SSRA's Executive Director for Franchise Management said:
" Like the Regulator, we expect operators to provide all round excellence for their passengers. This extends beyond the vitally important operational performance, which still accounts for over half of all complaints, and into other important areas such as retailing standards and train cleanliness, which from these figures, are disappointing and not up to scratch across all of the network.
" The SSRA currently tracks customer perception in many areas via individual periodic customer satisfaction surveys and recently awarded a three year contract for a National Passenger Survey to obtain passenger feedback on the full network picture.
" It is encouraging to see the improvements in speed of response to complaints and it is vital that the industry acts on the complaints it receives. One way or another, the railway must deliver improvements in service quality so that it meets and exceeds the needs of its customers."
