UK rail customers not getting value for money

Fewer than half of rail passengers say the price they pay to travel represents value for money

A new national service of 25,000 travellers shows that 55 per cent of them believe the price of their tickets is too high for the standard of service they receive – and the survey was conducted at the end of last year before the massive rail disruption caused by winter snowfalls.

However the number of passengers who said they were satisfied with their journey was 83 per cent – more than four in five and a record high according to the study by independent watchdog Passenger Focus.

A similar number were satisfied with punctuality and reliability, a two per cent increase on the last time the survey was held in the summer of 2008. Passenger Focus said the improved levels of satisfaction were proof that investment in services does pay off but the fact that more than half of customers do not feel they are getting value for money is of concern. With the winter disruption meaning customers were left stranded and literally in the dark as train companies failed to communicate with them across channels it would be interesting to know what the results would be now.

However Michel Roberts, head of the Association of Train Operating Companies was upbeat: “Train companies are not complacent and they will continue to focus on improving their services.” .