Many passengers using Avanti and TransPennine Express (TPE) in the North of England have become so disillusioned with delays and cancellations that they are considering travelling by other modes, including by car.
Passenger watchdog Transport Focus spoke to more than 1,000 customers of the two much-maligned rail firms; around one in five said they had experienced delays or cancellations on their last journey, while fewer than half were satisfied with delay information.
Chief executive Anthony Smith said: ‘Passengers have told us that this disruption is having a significant impact, potentially putting some off using the train for good.
‘Some have cancelled plans or travelled another way, while others feel anxious about it all going wrong. While most of those who are able to travel find the experience OK, many have experienced crowding.
‘Avanti and TransPennine Express must do better in ensuring that the trains run reliably. They must also provide better information.
'December sees a new timetable – this is an opportunity to improve the passenger experience.’
Transport Focus surveyed 594 Avanti passengers and 471 TPE passengers between 11 and 18 November, asking about travel experiences from the last 28 days.
- 28% of Avanti passengers said they experienced a change/cancellation or delay to their journey and 22% on TransPennine Express
- just over four in 10 (44%) passengers rated Avanti’s communication about delays as good and 46% for TransPennine Express
- a quarter of Avanti passengers and just over two in 10 (22%) TPE passengers said the level of crowding was poor. However, 55% of Avanti passengers and 57% of TPE said that the level of crowding was good
- overall 78% of Avanti passengers and 77% of TransPennine Express passengers were satisfied with their journey.
The watchdog said it is calling for:
- a focus on reliability for the new timetable due to come in on 11 December
- more services, to reduce crowding
- more efforts to ensure that clear, quality information reaches all passengers.
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