Since the launch of our Get Trains On Track campaign you’ve been sharing your train tales with us. We’ve now delivered these to the train companies and asked them to outline how they’ll act on your feedback.
Nearly 1,000 comments have been sorted and packed up into dossiers for each of the train companies. They cover everything from punctuality to cleanliness, and they’re now in the hands of the train operators.
Feedback for train companies
Alex was pleased with East Coast Trains’ response:
‘My partner and I went to Scotland. Both trains were cold. I emailed them and within five days they had sent a letter of apology and two £15 vouchers as way of compensation.’
Abbie, a South West Trains passenger, is unhappy with the way compensation is awarded when things go wrong:
‘Not only were they very late arriving but they were so overcrowded one person fainted and had to be helped off at the next stop. When I asked about compensation I was told I had to wait two months to see if it was classified as a void day when a percentage of trains were over 40 minutes late. Their customer services couldn’t tell me what the percentage was.’
Charles, a First Capital Connect passenger, thinks that ‘the cost of travelling simply doesn’t match punctuality or the general on-board experience.’
Delays and packed trains
Oliver, a Greater Anglia passenger, told us:
‘Trains are delayed on a daily basis; every train pretty much. There is regular bus replacement. There are regular cancellations in which the most ridiculous excuses are given eg too windy, too many leaves on the tracks, too much rain. The entire system/model is a shoddy shower of sugar.’
Marianne is fed up with crowded trains:
‘My biggest problem – is that in the heart of rush hour, Southern still put on trains with only four carriages. Which means maybe half the people on the platform might be able to force themselves on, and the rest of us are left waiting even longer for the next late train. Why, when the lines are so busy, would you put a four car train on the line where a 10 car train is needed?’
We want train companies to outline how they will act on your feedback to improve passenger satisfaction. In particular, we want to hear how they’ll pro-actively encourage, listen to and respond to the feedback they’re given on a daily basis. What do you hope they’ll say?