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London Midland rail franchise passenger
research
July 2015
1
Introduction The following was produced for Passenger Focus before its remit was expanded and rebranded to Transport Focus.
Research background
The current West Midlands franchise (LM), operated by Govia-owned company London Midland, expires on 1 April 2016. It is anticipated that the Department for Transport (DfT), will offer a short-term contract, likely to be around 15 months, to Govia. This is known as a direct award and will see Govia hold the franchise until June 2017, during which time the DfT will run a competitive tender to operate the franchise after this date.
Research objectives The overall aim of the research, which was funded by DfT, was to understand passengers’ current experiences with London Midland and, particularly, their aspirations for the future of the franchise. The specific objectives of the research were:
Understand passengers’ use and experience of the railways under the existing franchise
Obtain passengers’ aspirations for the future, including: o The environment at the station o The environment on board the train o The frequency of the train service and capacity that the train runs at o The reliability and punctuality of trains o Customer service and staff o Value for money
Explore passengers’ awareness of the franchising process and their desire for engagement.
The findings from the research are being shared with DfT and used to help inform their specification for proposals from the operator for the direct award period. Longer-term issues will be considered for the next franchise competition.
Research methodology During December 2014 qualitative focus groups were convened with London Midland passengers and depth interviews were conducted with some disabled users of the service.
Focus Groups - eight, 90 minute focus groups were conducted across three locations (Birmingham, Crewe and Northampton). These locations were chosen in order to ensure that we sampled as much of the LM network as possible, including both main and suburban train lines into towns and cities. Four groups were conducted in Birmingham to sample both the local lines and longer-distance routes. Each focus group contained between five or six respondents.
Depth Interviews – six, 45 minute depth interviews were conducted in the same locations as above with disabled passengers who use the LM service. These included people with
2
learning disabilities, mobility problems, visual impairment and hearing impairment, who helped us understand some of their specific experiences and requirements when using the railway.
Across both the focus groups and depth interviews, passengers were using the train for either commuting or business/leisure purposes and we divided respondents into those undertaking typical journeys of more, or less, than 30 minutes.
While the research was qualitative only, and so provides no statistics, this report draws on information from other Transport Focus quantitative research to provide further detail and comparison.
3
Contents 1. Key findings ......................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Passengers’ reported experience of using the London Midland service ..................... 4
1.1.1 Comparison of qualitative feedback with National Rail Passenger Survey .............. 4
1.1.2 Variation in experiences by location and passenger type ........................................ 5
1.2 Passenger aspirations for the London Midland service ........................................... 5
1.2.1 Why improvement is desired .................................................................................. 6
1.2.2 Identifying improvements ................................................................................ 7
1.2.3 Prioritising improvements ....................................................................................... 9
1.3 Awareness of Franchise Process ..................................................................... 9
1.4 Level of relationship felt towards LM ............................................................. 10
2. Summary ......................................................................................................................... 11
3. Appendix ......................................................................................................................... 12
3.1 NRPS Autumn 2014: % satisfied, London Midland versus London and South East sector .............................................................................................................................. 12
3.2 Rail passengers' priorities for improvements, London Midland comparison with Great Britain .............................................................................................................................. 14
4. Full report
4
1. Key findings
1.1 Passengers’ reported experience of using the London Midland service Research participants described the London Midland service as one that is reasonably priced, but offers a ‘no-frills’ service compared to other train operating companies. For example, passengers claim that the service often takes ‘the long way round’ and not always the quickest, most direct route.
London Midland staff were considered friendly, helpful and always willing to assist when sought out at stations and on trains. The Twitter account was seen as particularly useful during disruption. Areas where passengers felt London Midland fell short included overcrowding on the train, which was of the greatest concern to the focus group participants and particularly an issue for commuters. Other notable concerns were frequent disruption and delays, and a lack of communication about disruption at stations.
1.1.1 Comparison of qualitative feedback with National Rail Passenger Survey1 National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) scores show 82 per cent of passengers rated their overall satisfaction with their LM journey as satisfactory or good. This compares with 80 per cent for London and South East (LSE) sector operators, the comparator service group for LM, and a national average of 81 per cent.
The relatively positive comments about LM being reasonably priced reflect an NRPS score of 54 per cent for value for money of the price of your ticket. This is notably higher than the sector average of 41 per cent and the national score of 46 per cent.
London Midland scores for the attitude and helpfulness of staff at stations and on trains are 68 per cent and 60 percent, respectively, compared to LSE sector scores of 71 per cent and 54 per cent.
Complaints of overcrowding on the train are reflected in low satisfaction scores for sufficient room for all passengers to sit/stand. 67 per cent of all LM passengers are satisfied with this factor. This is higher than the LSE sector score of 62 per cent, but lower than the national average of 72 per cent. However, the LM score for peak passengers is only 31 per cent, whilst the off-peak score is 70 per cent.
Passengers’ reported dissatisfaction with the frequency of disruption and delays on London Midland tallies with NRPS results for the operator, with only 74 per cent of their passengers satisfied with the punctuality and reliability of their train journeys. The LSE sector scores 75 per cent, which is also the national average.
The LM score of 36 per cent for how well train company deals with delays compares with the LSE sector score of 35 per cent and the national average of 38 per cent.
1 http://www.transportfocus.org.uk/research/publications/national-rail-passenger-survey-nrps-autumn-2014-full-report
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1.1.2 Variation in experiences by location and passenger type Experiences of travelling on LM services were relatively consistent across each of the groups at the locations sampled (Birmingham, Crewe and Northampton), though there were some areas of dissatisfaction that were specific to certain localities and passenger type. These areas are listed below:
Birmingham group
Infrequent service Limited facilities at smaller, rural stations Inconvenience at Birmingham New Street Station due to refurbishment works Evening services not frequent enough, particularly at rural stations.
Crewe group
Lack of staff on trains and platforms Short notice given for platform alterations Long queues at station ticket machines at peak times.
Northampton group
Staff lack knowledge and fail to communicate delays and disruption Inconvenience caused by Northampton station refurbishment works.
Passenger type
Overcrowding, disruption and delays are more apparent amongst commuters Business/leisure passengers put more emphasis on the lack of staff at stations and on
the trains, Wi-Fi/food/drink on trains, and infrequent/disrupted trains at weekends Disabled passengers desire more staff at stations and on board trains to provide
assistance, more seats and advance notice of platform changes to allow timely transfer to new location.
Passengers in Northampton and Birmingham felt that the amount of disruption and delays, as well as the lack of information about them was influenced by the refurbishment works being undertaken at the station.
1.2 Passenger aspirations for the London Midland service Passengers were asked to identify the areas where they felt most improvement was needed in the LM service. The results show that of the six areas proposed, improved train reliability and punctuality, followed by an increased train service level (frequency) was most desired.
6
Base: Total 48, Birmingham 22, Crewe 13, Northampton 13
At first sight, the order of importance in this qualitative project is not directly reflective of a quantitative Transport Focus study into Rail passengers’ priorities for improvements2. This found that, amongst LM passengers, the top priority for improvement was ‘price of train tickets offers better value for money’. With an index of 473 this was nearly five times more important than a notional score of 100 for the ‘average’ factor3.
Passengers always able to get a seat on the train and sufficient frequency of train services ranked second and third priorities for improvement, with index scores of 374 and 242 respectively.
However, the priorities for improvement study included a number of individual factors relating to punctuality and reliability. More trains arriving on time than now ranked fourth at 192. There were also high scores for less frequent major unplanned disruptions (sixth at 175), fewer trains cancelled (seventh at 151) and less disruption due to engineering works (thirteenth at 100). Taken together these emphasise the importance of reliability and punctuality, as identified by the focus group participants.
1.2.1 Why improvement is desired There are several reasons why improved train reliability and punctuality is desired so strongly by passengers:
Passengers on all parts of the network experience frequent delays and cancellations, especially commuters who experience frequent, short delays of around 5-10 minutes
Passengers have been left waiting as delayed trains ‘skip’ intermediate stations in order to make-up time
The communication of disruption at the station is considered poor and often last minute, whilst staff are not always knowledgeable about the situation.
In terms of the train service level, improvement is desired as a result of:
2 http://www.transportfocus.org.uk/research/publications/rail-passengers-priorities-for-improvements-october-2014 3 See appendix 2.1 for a full comparison of London Midland passenger priorities and Great Britain passenger priorities
7
Overcrowding on many lines during peak hours, with the situation only getting worse Difficulty moving through the train in peak hours due to the number of standing
passengers Too few services later at night and at the weekends Lack of services during large scale events e.g. Football matches.
1.2.2 Identifying improvements Passengers perceived many of the improvements they suggested to be achievable in the short term i.e. the next two years. Therefore they expected to see improvements made to the London Midland service implemented as soon as possible.
Although passengers desired a reduction in disruption and delays most, they found it difficult to suggest or find solutions that might bring this about. Improvements that they were able to suggest centred mainly on the train and station environment as well as to ticketing; including cost, choice and provision.
Area Suggested improvements
Value for money
Simplified ticket choices with increased transparency on the best value for money options
Tickets that are valid across different TOCs, in case of sudden cancellation
Price increases reflective of an improved service Fares reflective of distance travelled, with no disproportionate
increases past a certain point Better communication of offers e.g. family travel card A loyalty scheme where points are earned for travel Delay repayment made straightforward and easy to claim, and
compensation for shorter delays ‘Oyster-type’ smartcards which always deduct the optimal fare Consistent ‘rules’ about travelling on the network without a ticket.
Train reliability
and punctuality
Faster trains (to make up lost time), or more frequent trains at peak times ensuring another train arrives soon
Increased flexibility so tickets can be used on other TOCs, services and modes of transport
Replacement services e.g. bus Immediate repayment/compensation Improved communication of disruption:
o Communication of delays and cancellations in advance of arrival at the station e.g. through push notifications/text messages
o More staff at stations and on trains to advise passengers of alternative options
8
o Information at stations in line and up to date with information on Twitter
Station environment
More, working ticket machines at the station Clearer communication about dates for station improvement works and
reasons for renovations Improved waiting areas (warmer, with more comfortable seating) Cleaner toilets Easier platform access for disabled passengers (e.g. more lifts) More, free car parking spaces Better, more varied choice of food outlets at stations (independent
shops)
Train environment
Cleaner carriages and toilets (where available) on board the train Better regulated temperature, adapted to outside and what people are
likely to be wearing Free, working Wi-Fi on board the train Plug sockets available at seats Information screens on-board to display disruption messages along
with next stops
Train service level
More trains desired at peak times for some stations More trains to run on a Sunday, particularly at rural stations Trains to run later into the night More night services to avoid being left stranded in the case of
cancellations Clearer timetabling, with better coordinated connections with other
TOCs’ trains More carriages on trains at peak times to avoid overcrowding
Customer service and
staff
More staff at the station, particularly for assistance and security More staff on board the train for cleaning and assistance
9
1.2.3 Prioritising improvements Passengers’ were asked to prioritise the improvements that they would most like to see, from the list above. The improvements they prioritised can be categorised into four key areas. These areas are ultimately centred on improving the situation if disruption does occur.
Problem avoidance – reducing the frequency that problems occur
Clearer communication of ticket options and fares to avoid the wrong ticket being purchased
More carriages on existing trains at peak hours to reduce overcrowding Better scheduling of trains to avoid delays
Information about problems – providing information to improve situation
Better communication about delays and cancellations at stations and prior to arrival (e.g. Twitter, email, text…)
More and better informed staff on trains and platforms to assist in the event of cancellations or delays
Problem resolution – resolving problems if they do occur
Making the delay repayment scheme easier to use and more visible Allowing tickets to be interchangeable with other TOCs (e.g. Virgin Trains) if disruption
occurs
Distraction – making disruption more bearable
Cleaner carriages and toilets on board the train Wi-Fi and plug sockets on board trains
1.3 Awareness of Franchise Process Most passengers knew very little about the rail franchise system, and did not have any particular opinions about it. A few mentioned that they knew the government was involved to some extent, but could not elaborate on this
When probed, the majority had no knowledge about any of the following aspects:
Criteria for evaluating bids, and who sets this criteria Who decides which bidder is awarded the contract, or anything about the stages in the
process How long the contracts are, and that they can be ended early if deemed necessary That passengers have some input into the process.
10
1.4 Level of relationship felt towards LM Most customers didn’t feel a sense of ‘relationship’ with their operator, despite the amount of time (commuters in particular) spent using the service. Passengers felt that there was a correlation between the amount of interaction that they had with staff and the extent to which they felt a relationship. For example, those passengers who had positive interactions with staff felt more of a connection with London Midland.
This is no surprise given that in the Passengers’ relationship with the rail industry research4, London Midland do not fare well in terms of the level of trust that their passengers place in them, nor in the extent to which passengers feel they have a strong relationship with London Midland. Of 23 TOCs, LM place 21st in terms of trust and 11th in terms of relationship.
A reason for the higher placing in relationship versus trust may have something to do with customers feeling than London Midland is synonymous with the region and they do describe LM as providing a ‘local service’. Passengers felt that trust and relationship could be improved if London Midland did more to show that they valued their customers and rewarded loyalty, for example through loyalty schemes, special offers and discounts.
4 http://www.transportfocus.org.uk/news/articles/what-relationship-do-passengers-have-with-train-companies- Passengers’ Relationship with the rail industry, Passenger Focus, August 2014
11
1. Summary
Overall, passengers perceive travel with London Midland to be cheaper relative to other operators, such as Chiltern and Virgin. However, they feel that the service they receive is lacking in several aspects. This is largely because they feel that disruption including delays and last-minute cancellations are too frequent. In addition the levels of overcrowding, particularly during peak hours, does not make for an enjoyable journey experience.
Given the above, it is unsurprising that the most desired improvements are more reliable and punctual trains, as well as an increased train service level. Passengers believe that the situation can and should be improved in the short term, and expect to see changes in the next two years, especially as fares continue to rise.
Introducing a loyalty scheme, discounts and special offers would increase the extent to which passengers feel a relationship with LM and the extent to which they feel valued as customers. In addition, passengers feel that the presence and interaction with staff is vital to creating a stronger relationship between customer and operator.
12
2. Appendix
3.1 NRPS Autumn 2014: % satisfied, London Midland versus London and South East sector
Factor TOC Sector TOC index
Overall satisfaction with your journey 82 80 103%STATION FACILITIES Overall satisfaction with the station 74 78 95%Ticket buying facilities 74 72 102%Provision of information about train times/platforms 80 80 101%The upkeep/repair of the station buildings/platforms 66 70 94%Cleanliness 71 74 96%The facilities and services 49 55 89%The attitudes and helpfulness of the staff 68 71 96%Connections with other forms of public transport 69 76 91%Facilities for car parking 54 47 115%Overall environment 63 68 93%Your personal security whilst using the station 67 69 96%The availability of staff 53 60 89%The provision of shelter facilities 68 67 102%Availability of seating 49 43 114%How request to station staff was handled 80 83 96%The choice of shops/eating/drinking facilities available 44 48 90%TRAIN FACILITIES Overall satisfaction with the train 81 77 105%The frequency of the trains on that route 79 75 106%Punctuality/reliability 74 75 99%The length of time the journey was scheduled to take 86 81 107%Connections with other train services 76 75 102%The value for money of the price of your ticket 54 41 130%Cleanliness of the train 69 73 95%Upkeep and repair of the train 69 72 96%The provision of information during the journey 67 67 100%The helpfulness and attitude of staff on train 60 54 111%The space for luggage 49 48 101%The toilet facilities 42 32 130%Sufficient room for all passengers to sit/stand 67 62 109%The comfort of the seating area 70 68 102%The ease of being able to get on and off 81 77 106%Your personal security on board 77 75 102%The cleanliness of the inside 71 73 97%
13
The cleanliness of the outside 76 72 105%The availability of staff 39 34 113%How well train company deals with delays 36 35 104%
14
3.2 Rail passengers' priorities for improvements, London Midland comparison with Great Britain
London Midland Great Britain
Factor Rank Index Rank Index Price of train tickets offers better value for money
1 473 1 494
Passengers always able to get a seat on the train
2 374 2 367
Trains sufficiently frequent at the times I wish to travel
3 242 3 264
More trains arrive on time than happens now 4 192 4 178 Less frequent major unplanned disruptions to your journey
5 175 6 161
Train company keeps passengers informed about delays
6 166 5 163
Fewer trains cancelled than happens now 7 151 7 136 Accurate and timely information available at stations
8 131 8 132
Less disruption due to engineering works 9 100 13 90 Inside of train is maintained and cleaned to a high standard
10 97 11 93
Accurate and timely information provided on trains
11 90 12 92
Free Wi-Fi available on the train 12 86 10 97 Well-maintained, clean toilet facilities on every train
13 85 14 89
Journey time is reduced 14 76 9 105 Connections with other train services are always good
15 73 15 84
Seating area on train is very comfortable 16 56 17 59 Good connections with other public transport at stations
17 54 16 62
There is always space in the station car park 18 51 26 27 Improved personal security on the train 19 50 21 41 Train staff have a positive, helpful attitude 20 49 18 47 Station staff have a positive, helpful attitude 21 49 19 46 Improved personal security at the station 22 46 22 38 New ticket formats available such as smartcards, ticket Apps, print at home etc.
23 41 20 45
Stations maintained and cleaned to a high standard
24 37 24 36
More staff available at stations to help passengers
25 32 25 29
Sufficient space on train for passengers’ luggage
26 30 23 37
More staff available on trains to help passengers
27 22 28 20
Reduced queuing time when buying a ticket 28 22 29 20
15
Free Wi-Fi available at the station 29 20 27 24 Access from station entrance to boarding train is step-free
30 18 30 15
Safe and secure bicycle parking available at the station
31 9 31 10
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Back
grou
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bjec
tives
and
M
etho
dolo
gy
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Back
grou
nd
Th
e cu
rrent
Lon
don
Mid
land
(LM
) fra
nchi
se, o
pera
ted
by G
ovia
, exp
ires o
n 1
April
20
16. I
t is a
ntic
ipat
ed th
at th
e De
partm
ent f
or T
rans
port
(DfT
), w
ill o
ffer a
shor
t-te
rm
cont
ract
, lik
ely
to b
e ar
ound
15
mon
ths,
to G
ovia
. Thi
s is k
now
n as
a d
irect
aw
ard
and
will
see
Govi
a ho
ld th
e fra
nchi
se u
ntil
June
201
7, d
urin
g w
hich
tim
e Df
T w
ill ru
n a
com
petit
ive
tend
er to
ope
rate
the
franc
hise
bey
ond
that
dat
e
Pa
ssen
ger F
ocus
-as
the
inde
pend
ent v
oice
of t
he ra
il pa
ssen
ger -
has a
sign
ifica
nt
role
in th
e fra
nchi
sing
proc
ess,
both
in te
rms o
f pro
vidi
ng e
vide
nce
of p
asse
nger
ex
perie
nce
and
setti
ng o
ut p
asse
nger
s’ as
pira
tions
for n
ew fr
anch
ises
Gi
ven
the
abov
e, D
fT a
sked
Pas
seng
er
Focu
s to
com
miss
ion
rese
arch
to
unde
rsta
nd p
asse
nger
s’ ex
perie
nces
w
ith th
e in
cum
bent
ope
rato
r and
to
iden
tify
thei
r asp
iratio
ns fo
r the
dire
ct
awar
d pe
riod
and
beyo
nd.
4
Th
e ov
eral
l aim
of t
he re
sear
ch is
to u
nder
stan
d pa
ssen
gers
’ cur
rent
exp
erie
nces
with
Lon
don
Mid
land
and
, par
ticul
arly
, th
eir a
spira
tions
for t
he fu
ture
of t
he fr
anch
ise.
Th
e fin
ding
s fro
m th
e re
sear
ch a
re b
eing
shar
ed w
ith D
fT a
nd u
sed
to h
elp
info
rm th
eir
spec
ifica
tion
for p
ropo
sals
from
the
oper
ator
for t
he d
irect
aw
ard
perio
d. L
onge
r-te
rm is
sues
w
ill b
e co
nsid
ered
for t
he n
ext f
ranc
hise
com
petit
ion.
Th
e sp
ecifi
c ob
ject
ives
of t
he re
sear
ch w
ere
as fo
llow
s:
Unde
rsta
nd p
asse
nger
s’ us
e an
d ex
perie
nce
of th
e ra
ilway
und
er th
e ex
istin
g fra
nchi
se
Obt
ain
pass
enge
rs’ a
spira
tions
for t
he fu
ture
, inc
ludi
ng:
Th
e en
viro
nmen
t at t
he st
atio
n, fo
r exa
mpl
e, c
lean
lines
s, in
form
atio
n, ti
cket
pur
chas
ing
faci
litie
s, sh
ops,
rest
aura
nts a
nd to
ilets
Th
e en
viro
nmen
t on
boar
d th
e tra
in, f
or e
xam
ple,
cle
anlin
ess,
toile
ts, s
eatin
g, a
ir-co
nditi
onin
g/he
atin
g, fo
od/d
rink
Th
e fre
quen
cy o
f the
trai
n se
rvic
e an
d ca
paci
ty th
at th
e tra
in ru
ns a
t
The
relia
bilit
y an
d pu
nctu
ality
of t
rain
s suc
h as
the
leve
l of d
isrup
tion
and
dela
ys
Cust
omer
serv
ice a
nd st
aff,
inclu
ding
the
attit
udes
of s
taff,
staf
fing
leve
ls at
stat
ion
and
on b
oard
trai
ns
Valu
e fo
r mon
ey, f
or e
xam
ple,
the
choi
ce o
f tick
ets a
nd c
ost t
o tra
vel
Un
ders
tand
any
spec
ific
issue
s affe
ctin
g di
sabl
ed tr
avel
lers
.
Expl
ore
pass
enge
rs’ a
war
enes
s of t
he fr
anch
ising
pro
cess
and
thei
r des
ire fo
r eng
agem
ent
Obj
ectiv
es
5
Met
hodo
logy
and
pro
file
of p
artic
ipan
ts
Q
ualit
ativ
e fo
cus
grou
ps w
ere
cond
ucte
d am
ongs
t Lon
don
Mid
land
pas
seng
ers
and
dept
h in
terv
iew
s w
ith s
ome
disa
bled
use
rs o
f the
ser
vice
8
x 90
min
ute
focu
s gr
oups
4
x Bi
rmin
gham
2
x Cr
ewe
2
x N
orth
ampt
on
Am
ongs
t com
mut
ers a
nd b
usin
ess/
leisu
re
pass
enge
rs
Am
ongs
t old
er a
nd y
oung
er p
asse
nger
s fro
m
diffe
rent
soc
io-e
cono
mic
gro
ups
Gr
oups
con
tain
ed b
etw
een
5 an
d 6
resp
onde
nts
Pa
ssen
gers
use
d a
mix
of m
ain
and
subu
rban
lin
es in
to th
e to
wn
and
city
cen
tres,
mak
ing
both
sho
rter a
nd lo
nger
jour
neys
Focu
s gr
oups
Dep
th in
terv
iew
s
6
x 45
min
ute
dept
h in
terv
iew
s
2 x
Birm
ingh
am
2 x
Crew
e
2 x
Nor
tham
pton
Am
ongs
t com
mut
ers a
nd b
usin
ess/
leisu
re
pass
enge
rs
Di
sabl
ed p
asse
nger
s in
clud
ed th
ose
with
lear
ning
di
sabi
litie
s, m
obili
ty p
robl
ems,
visu
ally
impa
ired
and
hear
ing
impa
irmen
t.
6
Rese
arch
Sch
edul
e
Th
e co
mpl
ete,
det
aile
d sc
hedu
le o
f foc
us g
roup
s:
LOCA
TIO
NG
ROU
P N
OD
EMO
GRA
PHIC
STR
AIN
USA
GE
Birm
ingh
am
1Yo
unge
r, C
1C2D
Com
mut
er
2O
lder
, ABC
1Bu
sine
ss/L
eisu
re
Birm
ingh
am
3O
lder
, C1
C2D
Com
mut
er
4Yo
unge
r, A
BC1
Busi
ness
/Lei
sure
Crew
e
5Yo
unge
r, C
1C2D
Com
mut
er
6O
lder
,ABC
1Bu
sine
ss/L
eisu
re
Nor
tham
pton
7O
lder
, C1
C2D
Com
mut
er
8Yo
unge
r, A
BC1
Busi
ness
/Lei
sure
7
Expe
rienc
es o
f usin
g th
e Lo
ndon
Mid
land
ser
vice
8
O
vera
ll, Lo
ndon
Mid
land
was
see
n by
man
y as
thei
r loc
al, l
ow-c
ost t
rain
serv
ice
valid
for c
omm
uter
s, bu
sines
s pa
ssen
gers
and
mor
e oc
casio
nal l
eisu
re jo
urne
ys
Affo
rdab
le p
rice
was
the
stan
d-ou
t fea
ture
of t
he L
ondo
n M
idla
nd s
ervi
ce, w
ith m
any
ratin
g it’
s va
lue
for
mon
ey q
uite
hig
hly,
parti
cula
rly w
hen
com
pare
d to
alte
rnat
ives
(e.g
. Virg
in, C
hilte
rn)
Fo
r som
e, L
ondo
n M
idla
nd w
as th
e go
-to
serv
ice
for s
mal
ler r
ural
sta
tions
that
oth
er T
OC’
s do
not
sto
p at
Fo
r thi
s re
ason
, man
y co
nsid
ered
Lon
don
Mid
land
as
a se
rvic
e th
ey w
ere
clos
er to
and
mor
e fa
mili
ar w
ith
Lond
on M
idla
nd w
as a
lso s
een
as th
e id
eal s
ervi
ce fo
r sho
rt jo
urne
ys
Lo
ndon
Mid
land
sta
ff w
ere
cons
ider
ed fr
iend
ly, h
elpf
ul a
nd a
lway
s w
illin
g to
ass
ist w
hen
soug
ht o
ut a
t st
atio
ns a
nd o
n tra
ins
Lo
ndon
Mid
land
’s Tw
itter
acc
ount
was
see
n as
par
ticul
arly
use
ful a
nd h
elpf
ul d
urin
g di
srup
tion
H
avin
g sa
id th
at, p
asse
nger
s ar
e ab
le to
sug
gest
impr
ovem
ents
to th
e se
rvic
e ac
ross
the
entir
e jo
urne
y.
Lond
on M
idla
nd is
the
loca
l, lo
w-c
ost t
rain
ope
rato
r
“My
line
is Re
dditc
h to
New
St
reet
, so
I lite
rally
just
wal
k do
wn th
e ro
ad a
nd I
can
just
hop
on
the
train
and
it’s
fifte
en tw
enty
min
utes
. I
don’
t hav
e to
driv
ean
d it’
s ju
st e
asie
r.”Bi
rmin
gham
gro
up,
Com
mut
er, Y
oung
er
“The
y’re
very
goo
d at
re
spon
ding
to y
ou o
n Tw
itter
. An
d ge
nera
lly
you
get t
he in
form
atio
n th
at y
ou n
eed,
so
met
imes
they
are
m
ore
up to
dat
e th
an
the
actu
al sc
reen
s.”Bi
rmin
gham
gro
up,
Com
mut
er, Y
oung
er
“I te
nd to
use
th
em fo
r the
cost
or
if y
ou’re
get
ting
off a
t a lo
cal
stat
ion
beca
use
they
tend
to st
op
ever
ywhe
re.”
Nor
tham
pton
gr
oup,
Leisu
re,
Old
er
“Whe
neve
r I co
nsul
t a
mem
ber o
f sta
ff fo
r as
sista
nce,
they
are
alw
ays
happ
y to
help
. I fin
d th
em
cour
teou
s and
hel
pful
; it
mig
ht n
ot b
e ea
sy to
find
so
meo
ne, b
ut w
hen
you
do
they
are
hel
pful
and
pos
itive
.”N
orth
ampt
on g
roup
, Lei
sure
, O
lder
9
Frus
tratio
ns w
ith L
ondo
n M
idla
nd la
rgel
y in
line
with
oth
er
TOC
expe
rienc
es
O
verc
row
ding
, disr
uptio
n an
d de
lays
are
am
ongs
t the
issu
es th
at a
re m
ost c
omm
only
men
tione
d
Thes
e fru
stra
tions
are
mor
e ap
pare
nt a
mon
gst c
omm
uter
s
Bu
sines
s/le
isure
pas
seng
ers
put m
ore
emph
asis
on th
e la
ck o
f sta
ff at
sta
tions
and
on
the
train
s, W
i-Fi
/foo
d/dr
ink
on tr
ains
, and
infre
quen
t/di
srup
ted
train
s at
wee
kend
s
Se
rvic
es a
re p
erce
ived
to ta
ke ‘t
he lo
ng w
ay ro
und’
and
not
the
quic
kest
, mos
t dire
ct ro
ute
“You
get
wha
t you
pay
for;
it’s c
heap
as c
hips
to g
o to
Lon
don
if yo
u’re
willi
ng to
stan
d du
ring
half
the
jour
ney a
nd st
op a
t ev
ery s
tatio
n on
the
way.”
Crew
e gr
oup,
Bus
ines
s/Le
isure
, Old
er
So
me
varia
tion
by re
gion
N
orth
ampt
on a
nd B
irmin
gham
pas
seng
ers
parti
cula
rly
frust
rate
d by
the
inco
nven
ienc
es c
ause
d by
the
refu
rbish
men
t wor
ks in
stat
ions
Bi
rmin
gham
pas
seng
ers
felt
that
they
rece
ived
a se
rvic
e th
at w
as re
flect
ive
of th
e co
st o
f tra
vel
N
orth
ampt
on c
omm
uter
s ex
perie
nced
del
ays
on a
regu
lar
basis
.
Pass
enge
rs in
Cre
we
unha
ppy
with
the
leve
l of i
nfor
mat
ion
com
mun
icat
ed to
them
in ti
mes
of d
isrup
tion 10
Expe
rienc
es re
lativ
ely
cons
isten
t acr
oss l
ines
ISSU
ES E
XPER
IEN
CED
BY
THE
MA
JORI
TY
O
verc
row
ding
Disr
uptio
n an
d de
lays
Ti
cket
opt
ions
and
pric
ing
uncl
ear (
parti
cula
rly o
nlin
e)
Lack
of c
omm
unic
atio
n of
disr
uptio
ns a
t sta
tions
In
suffi
cien
t fre
quen
cy o
f ser
vice
s at
pea
k tim
es
Ove
rcro
wdi
ng o
n tra
ins
at p
eak
times
La
ck o
f sta
ff on
trai
ns a
nd p
latfo
rms
Po
or c
omm
unic
atio
n of
del
ays
and
disr
uptio
n
Shor
t not
ice
give
n fo
r pla
tform
alte
ratio
ns
Long
que
ues
at st
atio
n tic
ket m
achi
nes a
t pea
k tim
es
Fr
eque
nt d
elay
s, pa
rticu
larly
at p
eak
times
St
aff l
ack
know
ledg
e an
d fa
il to
com
mun
icat
e de
lays
and
disr
uptio
n
Inco
nven
ienc
e ca
used
by
Nor
tham
pton
sta
tion
refu
rbish
men
t wor
ks
O
verc
row
ding
on
train
s at
pea
k tim
es
Infre
quen
t ser
vice
De
lays
and
can
cella
tions
occ
ur fr
eque
ntly
(par
ticul
arly
Red
ditc
h an
d W
orce
ster
)
Insu
ffici
ent c
omm
unic
atio
n of
del
ays
and
canc
ella
tions
Li
mite
d fa
cilit
ies
at s
mal
ler,
rura
l sta
tions
In
conv
enie
nce
at B
irmin
gham
New
Stre
et S
tatio
n du
e to
refu
rbish
men
t wor
ks
Even
ing
serv
ices
not
freq
uent
eno
ugh,
par
ticul
arly
at r
ural
stat
ions
.
Crew
eN
orth
ampt
on
Birm
ingh
am
11
4.8
4.8
5.2
4.4
54.
75.
64.
6
5.3
5.3
5.4
5.3
5.4
56
5.1
5.7
5.5
6.2
5.3
5.7
5.7
4.8
6.7
5.7
5.1
66.
1
5.9
5.4
5.4
7
6.1
5.3
6.8
6.3
6.2
5.8
6.2
6.6
6.6
6.4
76.
3
6.9
77.
26.
4
7.2
7.8
7.2
6.6
7.4
7.3
7.8
7
The
train
is ra
rely
ove
r cro
wde
d an
d I c
an u
sual
ly g
et a
sea
t
I fee
l tha
t the
trai
n op
erat
or tr
eats
me
as a
val
ued
cust
omer
Ther
e is
a go
od c
hoic
e of
shop
s an
d fo
od o
utle
ts a
t the
stat
ion
from
whi
ch I
can
get w
hat I
nee
d
My
serv
ice
is ra
rely
del
ayed
or s
uffe
ring
disr
uptio
n
Whe
n th
ere
is di
srup
tion
to m
y se
rvic
e, I
am k
ept u
pdat
ed a
bout
the
situa
tion
I und
erst
and
all o
f the
diff
eren
t tic
ket t
ypes
and
opt
ions
that
are
ava
ilabl
e to
me
Ther
e is
alw
ays
staf
f on
boar
d th
e tra
in to
hel
p m
e ou
t with
my
jour
ney
if ne
eded
Ther
e is
alw
ays
staf
f at t
he st
atio
n to
hel
p m
e ou
t with
my
jour
ney
if ne
eded
I thi
nk th
at th
e am
ount
that
I pa
y fo
r my
train
tick
et is
reas
onab
le
The
train
s ru
n fre
quen
tly e
noug
h to
mee
t my
need
s
The
train
is m
aint
aine
d to
a g
ood
stan
dard
and
is c
lean
It is
easy
to fi
nd o
ut a
nyth
ing
I wan
ted
to k
now
abo
ut th
e co
mpa
ny th
at o
pera
tes m
y se
rvic
e
It is
easy
to fi
nd o
ut in
form
atio
n ab
out m
y tra
in a
t the
stat
ion
Whe
neve
r I c
onsu
lt a
mem
ber o
f sta
ff fo
r ass
istan
ce th
ey a
re a
lway
s ha
ppy
to h
elp
Crew
eN
orth
ampt
onTo
tal
Birm
ingh
am
Ove
rcro
wdi
ng, n
ot fe
elin
g va
lued
, cho
ice
of s
hops
/ foo
d ou
tlets
at
stat
ions
and
disr
uptio
n ca
use
mos
t diss
atisf
actio
n
‘Generally’ least satisfied Generally’ most satisfied
Base
: Tot
al 4
8, B
irmin
gham
22,
Cre
we
13, N
orth
ampt
on 1
3Th
ese
figur
es sh
ould
be
used
onl
y as
indi
cativ
e, du
e to
the
low
base
size
s
Pass
enge
rs w
ere
aske
d to
rank
on
a sc
ale
of 1
-10
the
exte
nt to
whi
ch th
ey a
gree
d or
di
sagr
eed
with
eac
h of
the
follo
win
g st
atem
ents
(1=c
ompl
etel
y di
sagr
ee, 1
0=
com
plet
ely
agre
e). T
hey
wer
e as
ked
to th
ink
abou
t the
ir ex
perie
nce
whe
n tra
velli
ng w
ith
Lond
on M
idla
nd sp
ecifi
cally
.
12
Pass
enge
r des
ires f
or
impr
ovem
ent o
n th
e Lo
ndon
M
idla
nd s
ervi
ce
13
Impr
ovem
ents
des
ired
acro
ss th
e w
hole
cus
tom
er jo
urne
y
Pa
ssen
gers
attr
ibut
ed m
ost i
mpo
rtanc
e to
impr
ovem
ents
to tr
ain
relia
bilit
y an
d pu
nctu
ality
, alo
ng w
ith
train
serv
ice
leve
ls
Bi
rmin
gham
pass
enge
rs p
lace
par
ticul
ar im
porta
nce
on tr
ain
relia
bilit
y an
d pu
nctu
ality
(ave
rage
sco
re o
f 30
), es
peci
ally
com
pare
d to
Cre
we
(ave
rage
sco
re 1
7)
Cr
ewe
pass
enge
rs p
lace
mor
e im
porta
nce
on th
e tra
in
serv
ice
leve
l tha
n ot
her r
egio
ns (a
vera
ge s
core
of 2
3).
“I ca
n co
nfid
ently
say
that
not
a w
eek
goes
by
whe
re m
y tra
in to
Birm
ingh
am is
not
de
laye
d by
at l
east
5 m
inut
es a
t lea
st o
nce
a we
ek!”
Nor
tham
pton
gro
up, C
omm
uter
, Old
er.
2720
1614
1312
Trai
n re
liabi
lity a
nd
punc
tual
ity
Valu
e fo
r mon
eySt
atio
n en
viron
men
tTr
ain
envir
onm
ent
Trai
n se
rvice
le
vel
Cust
omer
se
rvice
and
st
aff
Mos
t des
ired
Leas
t des
ired
(ave
rage
num
ber o
f poi
nts a
lloca
ted)
Pass
enge
rs w
ere
aske
d to
allo
cate
100
poi
nts
acro
ss s
ix k
ey a
reas
for i
mpr
ovem
ent.
They
wer
e re
quire
d to
aw
ard
the
high
est n
umbe
r of p
oint
s to
the
area
whi
ch th
ey fe
lt ne
eded
mos
t im
prov
emen
t
“Cre
we is
a b
ig st
atio
n… it
’s ha
rd to
bel
ieve
th
at a
t 9 o
’cloc
k on
a M
onda
y if
you
miss
yo
ur tr
ain
you
have
to w
ait s
o lo
ng fo
r the
ne
xt o
ne!”
Crew
e gr
oup,
Com
mut
er, Y
oung
er.
Base
: Tot
al 4
8, B
irmin
gham
22,
Cre
we
13, N
orth
ampt
on 1
3Th
ese
figur
es sh
ould
be
used
onl
y as
an
indi
catio
n, d
ue to
the
low
base
size
s 14
Why
impr
ovem
ent i
s des
ired?
Freq
uent
dis
rupt
ions
, del
ays
and
canc
ella
tions
•Pa
ssen
gers
on
all p
arts
of t
he n
etw
ork
expe
rienc
e fre
quen
t del
ays
and
canc
ella
tions
•Co
mm
uter
s in
parti
cula
r exp
erie
nce
frequ
ent,
shor
t del
ays
(5-1
0 m
in)
•De
laye
d tra
ins
‘skip
’ int
erm
edia
te s
tatio
ns to
mak
e up
tim
e•
Parti
cula
rly fr
ustra
ting
in o
ff-pe
ak ti
mes
whe
n tra
ins
are
alre
ady
infre
quen
t•
Frus
tratio
n th
at w
eath
er c
ondi
tions
can
influ
ence
disr
uptio
n•
Littl
e un
ders
tand
ing
of is
sues
suc
h as
‘lea
ves
on th
e lin
e’ ,
with
maj
ority
per
ceiv
ing
it as
an
‘exc
use’
•St
aff s
horta
ges
perc
eive
d to
be
the
caus
e of
man
y de
lays
e.g
. ‘dr
iver
has
n’t t
urne
d up
’
Trai
n re
liabi
lity a
nd
punc
tual
ity
“One
trai
n ha
d to
be
canc
elle
d be
caus
e th
ey d
idn’
t ha
ve a
n av
aila
ble
mem
ber o
f st
aff,
and
I thi
nk th
at’s
the
wors
t exc
use
ever
.”Bi
rmin
gham
gro
up,
Com
mut
er, Y
oung
er
“We
got k
icked
off
the
train
in th
e m
iddl
e of
now
here
and
no
one
was a
ble
to e
ven
tell
us w
here
to
wait
for t
he ra
il re
plac
emen
t bu
ses!”
Nor
tham
pton
gro
up, C
omm
uter
, O
lder
“The
y wi
ll ju
st sa
y ‘th
is tra
in
will
not b
e st
oppi
ng a
t loc
al
stat
ions
’. I g
et so
ang
ry a
bout
it,
it’s
clear
ly de
nted
me
psyc
holo
gica
lly.”
Birm
ingh
am g
roup
, Lei
sure
, O
lder
“The
ir st
atist
ics a
re
fake
bec
ause
all
they
do
is cu
t all
the
stat
ions
out
and
it’s
not a
late
trai
n.”
Birm
ingh
am g
roup
, Co
mm
uter
, You
nger
Com
mun
icat
ion
of d
isru
ptio
n•
Lack
of c
omm
unic
atio
n at
sta
tions
•De
lays
com
mun
icat
ed a
t the
last
min
ute
•St
aff n
ot k
now
ledg
eabl
e ab
out t
he s
ituat
ion
or p
oten
tial i
mpa
ct•
Pass
enge
rs n
ot s
uffic
ient
ly in
form
ed o
f alte
rnat
ives
ser
vice
s or
opt
ions
•LM
Tw
itter
like
d by
thos
e w
ho u
se it
and
ofte
n pr
ovid
es b
ette
r inf
orm
atio
n th
an a
t the
stat
ion
“No
one
actu
ally
at th
e st
atio
n ca
n se
em to
tell
you
what
’s go
ing
on, b
ut
the
guy
on T
witte
r, wh
oeve
r it i
s, gi
ve
him
cred
it.”
Birm
ingh
am g
roup
, Com
mut
er,
Youn
ger
15
Ove
rcro
wdi
ng
Ove
rcro
wdi
ng o
n m
any
lines
dur
ing
peak
hou
rs
A
perc
eptio
n th
at th
e sit
uatio
n is
getti
ng w
orse
with
not
hing
bei
ng d
one
abou
t it
So
me
tailo
r the
ir jo
urne
y or
cho
ice
of s
tatio
n in
ord
er to
impr
ove
thei
r cha
nces
of g
ettin
g a
seat
An a
ppre
ciat
ion
that
ext
ra c
arria
ges
are
put o
n so
me
train
s in
pea
k ho
urs,
but n
ot a
lway
s co
nsist
ent
Trai
n se
rvice
leve
l
Why
impr
ovem
ent i
s des
ired?
Di
fficu
lt to
mov
e th
roug
h th
e tra
in in
pea
k ho
urs
due
to n
umbe
r of s
tand
ing
pass
enge
rs
Bi
cycl
es b
lock
ent
ranc
e/ex
its a
nd ta
ke u
p va
luab
le s
tand
ing
spac
e
Inco
nsist
ency
in se
rvic
es th
at d
o/do
n’t a
llow
bik
es a
nd lo
catio
n of
bik
e ‘sp
aces
’ on
train
Freq
uenc
y of
ser
vice
Th
ose
usin
g la
rger
, urb
an st
atio
ns a
re s
atisf
ied
with
the
frequ
ency
of s
ervi
ce
Thos
e at
smal
ler,
mor
e ru
ral s
tatio
ns w
ith a
less
freq
uent
se
rvic
e, s
ay s
ervi
ce is
suf
ficie
nt p
rovi
ding
trai
ns a
re
relia
ble
Ti
met
able
is s
omet
imes
per
ceiv
ed to
be
com
plic
ated
and
pa
ssen
gers
can
’t al
way
s se
e th
e lo
gic
in fr
eque
ncy
of
train
s
Too
few
ser
vice
s la
ter a
t nig
ht a
nd a
t the
wee
kend
s
Parti
cula
rly fo
r tho
se w
orki
ng s
hifts
(e.g
. Sun
day
mor
ning
s)
Som
e fe
el L
M d
on’t
antic
ipat
e la
rge
scal
e ev
ents
e.g
. Bi
rmin
gham
Par
k Ru
n, a
nd d
on’t
alte
r ser
vice
ac
cord
ingl
y.
“It’s
a bi
t of a
kick
in th
e te
eth
wher
e ev
ery
year
they
wr
ite to
me
and
they
put
my
train
pas
s up,
and
I ha
ven’
t see
n an
y im
prov
emen
t.”Bi
rmin
gham
gro
up, C
omm
uter
, You
nger
“If y
ou’re
out
at H
eref
ord
you
can
wait
a lo
ng ti
me,
betw
een
abou
t 12
pm a
nd 2
pm
ther
e’s v
irtua
lly
noth
ing.
”Bi
rmin
gham
gro
up, L
eisu
re, O
lder
“I’m
luck
y th
ere
is al
ways
som
eone
kin
d en
ough
to
offe
r me
a se
at, b
ut I
feel
sorry
for t
hose
poo
r mum
s wi
th th
eir k
ids c
ompl
aini
ng b
ecau
se th
ey w
ant t
o sit
do
wn, w
ho h
ave
to st
and
durin
g th
e en
tire
jour
ney.”
Disa
bled
pas
seng
er, N
orth
ampt
on16
Why
impr
ovem
ent i
s des
ired?
A c
heap
er b
ut n
o fr
ills
serv
ice
Re
cogn
ition
that
trav
el o
n Lo
ndon
Mid
land
is c
heap
er th
an o
ther
ope
rato
rs
Thou
gh in
retu
rn, t
he se
rvic
e is
not p
erce
ived
to b
e ‘a
s go
od a
s’ Ch
ilter
n or
Virg
in s
ervi
ces
W
here
pas
seng
ers
have
cho
ice,
Lon
don
Mid
land
is o
ften
only
use
d if
the
othe
r pro
vide
rs
are
too
expe
nsiv
e
But s
ome
are
will
ing
to p
ay a
bit
mor
e to
enj
oy th
e ‘b
ette
r ser
vice
’ pro
vide
d by
Vi
rgin
or C
hilte
rn
Irreg
ular
wor
kers
(e.g
. 2-3
day
trav
elle
rs, s
hift
wor
kers
) fe
el a
s if t
hey
get a
poo
r dea
l be
caus
e 7-
day
seas
on ti
cket
s do
not
mak
e fin
anci
al se
nse,
but
sing
le/r
etur
n tic
kets
are
pr
opor
tiona
lly e
xpen
sive
Co
mm
uter
s com
plai
n of
eve
r-in
crea
sing
trave
l cos
ts w
ith li
ttle
impr
ovem
ent i
n se
rvic
e
Valu
e fo
r mon
ey
Com
plex
ity o
f pric
ing
•Va
riabi
lity
in p
rices
bet
wee
n ce
rtain
zon
es, s
tatio
ns o
r lin
es is
not
alw
ays
unde
rsto
od
or p
erce
ived
as
fair
•Co
st o
f tra
vel m
ore
expe
nsiv
e in
rura
l are
as, f
urth
er fr
om th
e to
wn/
city
cen
tres
•Zo
ne ‘c
ards
’ offe
r goo
d va
lue
for m
oney
com
pare
d to
‘poi
nt to
poi
nt’ t
rave
l•
Fare
stru
ctur
es, o
ffers
and
tick
et ty
pes
are
poor
ly u
nder
stoo
d an
d no
t wel
l co
mm
unic
ated
•M
any
are
inte
rest
ed in
gro
up tr
avel
car
ds, b
ut a
re u
naw
are
of th
eir
exist
ence
•Le
isure
pas
seng
ers
find
it di
fficu
lt to
find
the
best
fare
for a
jour
ney,
and
rely
on
staf
f for
gui
danc
e w
here
pos
sible
, but
still
feel
anx
ious
abo
ut th
e tic
kets
they
ha
ve b
ough
t.
17
“Lon
don
Mid
land
is th
e lo
w co
st o
pera
tor,
fairl
y ba
sic, n
ot th
at m
any
facil
ities
...”N
orth
ampt
on, L
eisu
re,
Youn
ger
“The
re is
a b
it of
a co
ntra
st
betw
een
Lond
on M
idla
nd
and
Virg
in, f
rom
Bi
rmin
gham
to L
ondo
n,
Virg
in w
ill st
op o
nce
and
Lond
on M
idla
nd st
ops
ever
ywhe
re.”
Nor
tham
pton
, Lei
sure
, Yo
unge
r
“I pr
efer
pay
ing
a bi
t mor
e an
d ge
tting
Chi
ltern
bec
ause
it st
ops
at M
oor S
treet
stat
ion
and
I pre
fer t
hat s
tatio
n, it
’s le
ss cr
owde
d an
d ha
s nice
r pla
ces f
or co
ffee..
.”Bi
rmin
gham
, Com
mut
er, O
lder
St
aff a
re c
onsid
ered
hel
pful
and
frie
ndly
whe
neve
r con
sulte
d fo
r inf
orm
atio
n or
hel
p
How
ever
, sev
eral
issu
es h
ave
been
raise
d:
Disr
uptio
ns a
re fr
eque
ntly
attr
ibut
ed to
sta
ff sh
orta
ges
St
aff c
an b
e ha
rd to
find
at s
tatio
ns
Smal
ler s
tatio
ns a
re in
crea
singl
y un
staf
fed
In
cons
isten
cy in
‘rul
es’ o
f pur
chas
ing
ticke
ts o
n th
e tra
ins a
nd st
aff n
ot a
lway
s av
aila
ble
on tr
ain
to p
urch
ase
ticke
ts fr
om
Tick
et s
taff
at d
estin
atio
n ‘fi
ne’ p
asse
nger
s w
ho h
ad n
o ab
ility
to p
urch
ase
ticke
t an
ywhe
re a
long
jour
ney
La
ck u
p to
dat
e kn
owle
dge
and
unab
le to
pro
vide
info
rmat
ion
abou
t disr
uptio
n
Staf
f on
train
s pe
rcei
ved
as m
ore
frien
dly
and
help
ful t
han
staf
f on
plat
form
s
For d
isabl
ed p
asse
nger
s it
can
be d
iffic
ult t
o co
ntac
t LM
in a
dvan
ce o
f the
ir jo
urne
y to
ar
rang
e he
lp u
pon
arriv
al a
t the
sta
tion,
bec
ause
they
are
una
ble
to fi
nd a
con
tact
num
ber
Cust
omer
se
rvice
and
staf
f
Why
impr
ovem
ent i
s des
ired?
“It’s
the
whol
e st
aff s
horta
ge
thin
g, t
hey
need
to lo
ok a
t em
ploy
ing
mor
e st
aff.
I wro
te to
th
em a
bout
that
, and
they
cam
e ba
ck sa
ying
we tr
ain
so m
any
staf
f, it
take
s a y
ear t
o tra
in a
tra
in d
river
, and
then
we
ofte
n lo
se so
me
to V
irgin
. So
ther
e’s
got t
o be
a re
ason
why
they
’re
losin
g st
aff,
they
nee
d to
look
at
thei
r rec
ruitm
ent p
roce
ss.”
Birm
ingh
am, C
omm
uter
, Old
er
“You
kno
w in
the
wint
er th
at it
’s m
ore
com
mon
pe
ople
are
ill, s
o as
a co
mpa
ny y
ou a
re m
ore
prep
ared
. An
d ye
t eve
ry y
ear,
time
and
time
agai
n, th
ere’
s a st
aff s
horta
ge d
ue to
sick
ness
, th
ere’
s a st
aff s
horta
ge, w
ell y
ou sh
ould
hav
e ba
ck u
p.”
Birm
ingh
am, C
omm
uter
, You
nger
“I’ve
bee
n gi
ven
a fin
e, an
d I w
ould
n’t d
ream
of
not p
ayin
g yo
u kn
ow, s
traig
ht u
p, I
said
look
I’m
go
ing
to p
ay it
now
, and
it w
as ‘n
o’. I
t’s k
ind
of
hars
h re
ally.
”Bi
rmin
gham
, Com
mut
er, Y
oung
er
“I’m
not
sure
how
goo
d th
eir
mor
ale
is, th
ey a
lway
s give
th
e im
pres
sion
they
are
not
pa
rticu
larly
hap
py.
Mig
ht b
e be
caus
e pe
ople
like
me
moa
n at
them
all
the
time.
I th
ink
addr
essin
g st
aff m
oral
e an
d en
cour
agin
g th
em to
co
ntrib
ute
a be
tter
atm
osph
ere,
which
wou
ld
mak
e th
e se
rvice
bet
ter i
n its
elf.”
Birm
ingh
am, C
omm
uter
, O
lder
1818
Why
impr
ovem
ent i
s des
ired?
La
ck o
f par
king
spa
ces
A
perc
eptio
n th
at p
arki
ng is
ofte
n us
ed b
y no
n-tra
in u
sers
Af
ter d
ark
stat
ions
are
uns
taffe
d an
d po
orly
lit
Ti
cket
mac
hine
s are
ofte
n no
t wor
king
or t
oo c
ompl
icat
ed
A pe
rcep
tion
that
fare
‘dod
gers
’ are
pre
vale
nt d
ue to
lack
of s
taff
and
open
ba
rrier
s at
des
tinat
ion
stat
ions
La
ck o
f she
lter a
t sm
alle
r sta
tions
(wai
ting
room
s ar
e cl
osed
whe
n st
aff l
eave
)
Lack
of t
oile
ts o
r ven
ding
poi
nts,
even
for a
‘cu
p of
tea’
La
rger
sta
tions
can
be
diffi
cult
to n
avig
ate,
par
ticul
arly
dur
ing
refu
rbish
men
t.
Stat
ion
envir
onm
ent
Fa
cilit
ies
on b
oard
the
train
are
per
ceiv
ed to
be
basic
and
out
date
d
How
ever
, thi
s is
not a
prio
rity
for m
any
beca
use
of th
e re
lativ
ely
shor
t jou
rney
s th
ey
mak
e
Envi
ronm
ent n
ot c
omfo
rtabl
e en
ough
for l
onge
r jou
rney
s (i.
e. to
Lon
don)
Du
ring
peak
tim
es, t
he la
yout
and
pos
ition
ing
of s
eats
mak
es it
diff
icul
t to
stan
d an
ywhe
re b
ut b
y th
e en
tranc
e/ex
its
This
mak
es b
oard
ing/
dise
mba
rkin
g di
fficu
lt
Stan
ding
spa
ce la
cks
hand
rails
La
ck o
f bin
s/st
aff f
acili
tatin
g ru
bbish
cle
ar-u
p du
ring
the
jour
ney
To
ilets
are
dirt
y
Lack
of p
lugs
cau
se is
sues
on
long
er jo
urne
ys e
.g. c
harg
ing
phon
es.
Trai
n en
viron
men
t
“I’ve
bee
n on
jour
neys
wh
ere
not a
sing
le
toile
t all
up a
nd d
own
was t
rain
was
wo
rkin
g.”
Crew
e gr
oup,
Lei
sure
, O
lder
“Don
’t ge
t me
star
ted
on th
e st
ate
of N
orth
ampt
on st
atio
n;
the
wors
t bit
is th
at it
was
supp
osed
to b
e fin
ished
last
m
onth
and
we
are
still
waiti
ng fo
r an
upda
te.”
Nor
tham
pton
gro
up, C
omm
uter
, Old
er
1919
Aspi
ratio
ns fo
r the
Lon
don
Mid
land
ser
vice
20
Littl
e di
stin
ctio
n be
twee
n sh
ort a
nd lo
ng te
rm a
spira
tions
–pa
ssen
gers
wan
t im
prov
emen
ts in
the
shor
t ter
m
Pa
ssen
gers
exp
ect t
o se
e im
prov
emen
ts m
ade
to
the
Lond
on M
idla
nd s
ervi
ce im
plem
ente
d as
soo
n as
pos
sible
Th
ey b
elie
ve th
at m
uch
of w
hat t
hey
sugg
este
d in
te
rms
of im
prov
emen
t is
achi
evab
le in
the
shor
t te
rm i.
e. n
ext t
wo
year
s
“If m
y tra
in te
rmin
ates
sudd
enly
or is
canc
elle
d be
fore
it le
aves
the
stat
ion,
it w
ould
be
grea
t to
have
som
eone
kno
wled
geab
le th
ere
to te
ll m
e wh
at to
do
next
.”N
orth
ampt
on g
roup
, Bus
ines
s/Le
isure
, You
nger
.
Pa
ssen
gers
stru
ggle
d to
sug
gest
sol
utio
ns to
som
e of
th
e m
ore
tech
nica
l iss
ues,
such
as
redu
cing
del
ays
and
disr
uptio
n
How
ever
, the
y co
uld
freel
y su
gges
t im
prov
emen
ts to
tic
ketin
g an
d th
e st
atio
n/tra
in e
nviro
nmen
t
Som
e of
the
mos
t sug
gest
ed im
prov
emen
ts in
clud
ed:
In
stal
ling
Wi-F
i on
train
s
Impr
ovin
g th
e tic
ket o
ptio
ns o
n th
e Lo
ndon
M
idla
nd w
ebsit
e; m
akin
g de
als,
offe
rs a
nd
chea
pest
tick
ets
mor
e vi
sible
M
ore
staf
f ava
ilabl
e on
trai
ns a
nd st
atio
ns to
co
mm
unic
ate
disr
uptio
ns a
nd a
ltern
ativ
e ro
utes
.
“Sur
ely
it ca
n’t b
e to
o di
fficu
lt to
inst
all W
i-Fi o
n Lo
ndon
Mid
land
trai
ns, a
ll ot
her o
pera
tors
hav
e it!
”Cr
ewe,
Com
mut
er, Y
oung
er.
21
Aspi
ratio
ns: V
alue
for m
oney
Choi
ce
Si
mpl
ified
tick
et c
hoic
es, m
akin
g cl
ear t
he
best
val
ue fo
r mon
ey o
ptio
n
Mor
e vi
sible
gro
up tr
avel
tick
ets
and
optio
ns
Tick
ets
valid
on
othe
r TO
C se
rvic
es, i
n ca
se
of s
udde
n ca
ncel
latio
n
Loya
lty
A
loya
lty sc
hem
e w
here
poi
nts
are
earn
ed fo
r tra
vel
Ra
ilcar
ds v
alid
in p
eak
hour
s
Dela
y re
paym
ent t
o be
pub
licise
d an
d m
ore
stra
ight
forw
ard
to c
laim
Co
mpe
nsat
ion
for s
horte
r del
ays
(com
mut
ers)
Re
cogn
ition
from
TO
C ab
out p
oor s
ervi
ce
Pric
ing
An
y pr
ice
incr
ease
s re
flect
ive
of a
n im
prov
ed
serv
ice
Be
tter d
eals
on s
tand
ard
day
retu
rn ti
cket
s to
Lo
ndon
i.e.
tick
ets
purc
hase
d on
the
day
Fa
res
refle
ctiv
e of
dist
ance
trav
elle
d, w
ith n
o di
spro
porti
onat
e in
crea
ses
past
a c
erta
in p
oint
Be
tter c
omm
unic
atio
n of
offe
rs e
.g. f
amily
tra
vel c
ard
Ze
ro b
ooki
ng fe
es w
hen
purc
hasin
g tic
kets
in
adva
nce
Prov
ision
‘O
yste
r-ty
pe’ s
mar
tcar
ds w
hich
alw
ays
dedu
ct th
e op
timal
fare
Co
nsist
ent ‘
rule
s’ ab
out t
rave
lling
on
the
netw
ork
with
out a
tick
et.
“I lik
e to
kno
w wh
at th
e be
st p
rice
is ra
ther
th
an h
avin
g to
shop
aro
und.
”Bi
rmin
gham
, Bus
ines
s/Le
isure
, Old
er
22
O
vera
ll pa
ssen
gers
wou
ld li
ke to
exp
erie
nce
less
del
ays
Pa
rticu
larly
for c
omm
uter
s w
ho e
xper
ienc
e m
ore
dela
ys d
ue to
thei
r mor
e fre
quen
t use
of
the
serv
ice
Fa
ster
trai
ns (t
o m
ake
up lo
st ti
me)
, or m
ore
frequ
ent t
rain
s at
pea
k tim
es e
nsur
ing
anot
her t
rain
ar
rives
soo
n
For m
ore
signi
fican
t del
ays,
pass
enge
rs c
an id
entif
y w
ays
to re
duce
the
impa
ct:
In
crea
sed
flexib
ility
so
ticke
ts c
an b
e us
ed o
n ot
her T
OCs
, ser
vice
s an
d m
odes
of t
rans
port
Re
plac
emen
t ser
vice
s e.
g. b
us
Imm
edia
te re
paym
ent/
com
pens
atio
n
Offe
ring
hote
l sta
ys in
ext
rem
e ci
rcum
stan
ces
e.g.
if la
st s
ervi
ce is
can
celle
d
Aspi
ratio
ns: T
rain
relia
bilit
y an
d pu
nctu
ality
Deal
ing
with
disr
uptio
n
Com
mun
icat
ion
durin
g di
srup
tion
Co
mm
unic
atio
n of
del
ays
and
canc
ella
tions
in a
dvan
ce o
f arri
val a
t the
stat
ion
e.g.
thro
ugh
push
no
tific
atio
ns/t
ext m
essa
ges
Co
mm
unic
atio
n ab
out a
ny u
pcom
ing
or e
xpec
ted
dela
ys/d
isrup
tion
M
ore
staf
f at s
tatio
ns a
nd o
n tra
ins
to a
dvise
pas
seng
ers
of a
ltern
ativ
e op
tions
In
crea
sed
publ
icity
abo
ut d
elay
repa
ymen
t sch
eme
and
mak
ing
it m
ore
stra
ight
forw
ard
to c
laim
In
form
atio
n at
stat
ions
in-li
ne a
nd u
p-to
-dat
e w
ith in
form
atio
n on
Tw
itter
.
“I th
ink
the
Lond
on M
idla
nd T
witte
r pag
e is
grea
t for
ke
epin
g yo
u up
date
d, ju
st w
ish it
was
runn
ing
at 6
am.”
Crew
e gr
oup,
Com
mut
er, Y
oung
er.
“At p
eak
times
a p
erso
n is
mor
e he
lpfu
l for
info
rmat
ion
than
the
tann
oy. T
hey h
ave
acce
ss to
info
rmat
ion
from
th
eir s
yste
m, a
per
son
tend
s to
fess
up.
”Bi
rmin
gham
gro
up, C
omm
uter
, Old
er
23
Aspi
ratio
ns: S
tatio
n en
viro
nmen
t
M
ore
(wor
king
) tic
ket m
achi
nes
Cl
eare
r com
mun
icat
ion
abou
t dat
es fo
r sta
tion
impr
ovem
ent w
orks
and
reas
ons
for r
enov
atio
ns
Free
Wi-F
i at s
tatio
ns
Impr
oved
wai
ting
area
s (w
arm
er, m
ore
com
forta
ble
seat
ing)
Cl
eane
r toi
lets
Ea
sier p
latfo
rm a
cces
s fo
r disa
bled
pas
seng
ers
(e.g
. mor
e lif
ts)
M
ore,
free
car
par
king
spa
ces
Be
tter,
mor
e va
ried
choi
ce o
f foo
d ou
tlets
at s
tatio
ns
(inde
pend
ent s
hops
)
Larg
er st
atio
ns
Smal
ler s
tatio
ns
Mor
e ca
r par
king
spac
es a
nd o
nly
for t
rain
use
rs
Free
, acc
essib
le to
ilets
i.e.
on
each
pla
tform
M
ore
(wor
king
) tic
ket m
achi
nes
Sh
elte
r on
the
plat
form
to p
rote
ct fr
om e
lem
ents
and
acc
essib
le
whe
n th
e st
atio
n is
unst
affe
d
Seat
ing
on th
e pl
atfo
rm
Bette
r lig
htin
g/br
ight
er fo
r saf
ety
and
secu
rity
St
aff/
secu
rity
on st
atio
n at
nig
ht
Vend
ing
mac
hine
s, in
clud
ing
hot d
rinks
.
“As a
wom
an, I
’m sc
ared
to g
et th
e tra
in h
ome
at n
ight
bec
ause
m
y lo
cal s
tatio
n lo
oks a
band
oned
and
is v
ery
dark
.”Cr
ewe
grou
p, B
usin
ess/
Leisu
re, O
lder
. 24
Aspi
ratio
ns: E
nviro
nmen
t on
boar
d th
e tra
in
Clea
ner
M
ore
bins
on
boar
d to
di
spos
e of
rubb
ish
Mor
e fre
quen
t cle
anin
g re
gim
e (n
ot ju
st a
t de
stin
atio
n st
atio
ns)
Cl
eane
r, w
orki
ng to
ilets
on
boar
d
Bette
r reg
ulat
ed
tem
pera
ture
, ada
pted
to
outs
ide
and
wha
t peo
ple
are
likel
y to
be
wea
ring
Layo
ut
Au
tom
atic
ram
ps fo
r di
sabl
ed p
asse
nger
s to
bo
ard
easil
y
Mor
e sp
acio
us la
yout
(e.g
. tw
o se
ats
on e
ach
side)
to
allo
w p
eopl
e to
wal
k th
roug
h ai
sles
Be
tter d
esig
ned
stan
ding
sp
ace,
som
ethi
ng to
hol
d on
to
Lu
ggag
e st
orag
e fo
r lar
ge
suitc
ases
in e
ach
carri
age
Up
date
d in
terio
r –m
ore
com
forta
ble
seat
s fo
r lon
ger
jour
neys
.
Tech
nolo
gica
l
Pl
ug s
ocke
ts a
vaila
ble
at
seat
s
Info
rmat
ion
scre
ens
on-
boar
d to
disp
lay
disr
uptio
n m
essa
ges
alon
g w
ith n
ext
stop
s
Abili
ty fo
r disa
bled
pa
ssen
gers
to n
otify
driv
er
they
nee
d m
ore
time
to g
et
off t
rain
W
i-Fi a
vaila
ble
on a
ll se
rvic
es
“If y
ou tr
avel
on
a Vi
rgin
Tra
in d
own
to
Lond
on, t
here
’s so
meb
ody
com
ing
up
and
down
the
train
, twi
ce in
that
hou
r co
llect
ing
rubb
ish. T
he ru
bbish
is ju
st
left
on Lo
ndon
Mid
land
.”Bi
rmin
gham
gro
up, C
omm
uter
, Yo
unge
r.
“For
jour
neys
as l
ong
as C
rewe
-Lo
ndon
, whe
re yo
u’re
likel
y to
wa
nt to
stay
for o
ver a
day
, you
ne
ed lu
ggag
e st
orag
e bi
g en
ough
to
carry
som
ethi
ng la
rger
than
a
ruck
sack
.”Cr
ewe
grou
p, B
usin
ess/
Leisu
re,
Old
er.
“I’m
frig
hten
ed th
at o
ne d
ay I’
m g
oing
to
fall
in th
e ga
p be
twee
n th
e tra
in a
nd
plat
form
; tha
t ste
p is
so st
eep!
”Di
sabl
ed p
asse
nger
, Cre
we
25
M
ore
train
s de
sired
at p
eak
times
for s
ome
stat
ions
M
ore
train
s to
run
on a
Sun
day,
parti
cula
rly a
t rur
al
stat
ions
Tr
ains
to ru
n la
ter i
nto
the
nigh
t
Mor
e ni
ght s
ervi
ces
to a
void
bei
ng le
ft st
rand
ed in
th
e ca
se o
f can
cella
tions
Clea
rer t
imet
ablin
g w
hich
coo
rdin
ates
bet
ter w
ith
othe
r TO
Cs’ c
onne
ctin
g tra
ins
Ove
rcro
wdi
ng
M
ore
carri
ages
on
train
s at p
eak
times
to a
void
ove
rcro
wdi
ng
M
ore
assis
tanc
e fo
r disa
bled
pas
seng
ers
tryin
g to
get
a se
at o
n-bo
ard
whe
n no
ne a
re a
vaila
ble.
Aspi
ratio
ns: T
rain
ser
vice
leve
l
“I wa
s onc
e re
turn
ing
from
Lond
on o
n th
e la
st tr
ain
when
it
sudd
enly
term
inat
ed a
t Milt
on K
eyne
s with
out p
rior
warn
ing
and
I had
to g
et a
taxi
all t
he w
ay h
ome!
”N
orth
ampt
on, B
usin
ess/
Leisu
re, Y
oung
er.
“I’m
luck
y as
Nor
tham
pton
is th
e fir
st st
op o
n th
e wa
y to
Birm
ingh
am, b
ut I
feel
sorry
for p
eopl
e th
at g
et o
n 3
or 4
stop
s lat
er a
nd ca
n’t f
ind
a se
at.”
Nor
tham
pton
, Com
mut
er, O
lder
.
“Why
is it
like
hal
f sev
en, ‘t
hat’s
not
a co
mm
uter
trai
n so
we
will
only
put t
wo ca
rriag
es o
n’.
It is
a co
mm
uter
trai
n,
beca
use
peop
le a
re st
artin
g ea
rlier
and
ear
lier a
nd
com
mut
ing
times
are
last
ing
until
ten
o’clo
ck re
ally.
”Bi
rmin
gham
, Com
mut
er, Y
oung
er26
Co
mm
uter
s fel
t tha
t sta
ff re
sour
ces
shou
ld b
e fo
cuss
ed o
n ke
epin
g th
e se
rvic
e ru
nnin
g to
tim
e an
d m
inim
ising
del
ays
and
disr
uptio
n
Busin
ess/
leisu
re p
asse
nger
s sa
id th
at th
ey w
ould
like
to s
ee m
ore
staf
f on
boar
d an
d on
sta
tions
, sp
ecifi
cally
to:
H
elp
pass
enge
rs fi
nd th
e be
st p
riced
tick
ets
at st
atio
n m
achi
nes
En
sure
saf
ety
at n
ight
, par
ticul
arly
on
smal
ler s
tatio
ns o
r with
into
xicat
ed p
asse
nger
s on
boa
rd
Info
rm o
f disr
uptio
ns a
nd a
ltern
ativ
e tra
nspo
rt op
tions
in u
nfam
iliar
stat
ions
Se
ll tic
kets
on
boar
d, w
here
per
mitt
ed, s
o pa
ssen
gers
are
not
fine
d at
des
tinat
ion
Cl
ean
train
car
riage
s an
d to
ilets
on
a m
ore
regu
lar b
asis
Ch
eck
ticke
ts to
mak
e su
re p
eopl
e ar
e no
t far
e do
dgin
g.
Aspi
ratio
ns: C
usto
mer
serv
ice
and
staf
f
“If th
ey h
ad m
ore
staf
f I’d
wan
t it m
ore
on th
e re
liabi
lity,
doin
g th
e m
aint
enan
ce o
n th
e tra
ins a
nd th
e dr
ivers
, and
the
cond
ucto
rs a
nd th
e pl
atfo
rms.”
Birm
ingh
am, C
omm
uter
, You
nger
.
“At s
ome
of th
e sm
all s
tatio
ns a
t nig
ht ti
me
ther
e do
esn’
t see
m to
be
any
staf
f the
re a
t all
and
if yo
u ge
t dum
ped
at a
stat
ion,
it d
oesn
’t fe
el
very
safe
, bei
ng th
ere
on y
our o
wn.”
Birm
ingh
am, C
omm
uter
, Old
er
“Som
etim
es I
just
won
’t tra
vel a
t cer
tain
tim
es w
hen
I kno
w th
e st
atio
n wi
ll ei
ther
be
too
full
or to
o em
pty,
beca
use
it’s e
ither
impo
ssib
le to
ge
t on
the
train
or t
here
’s no
one
aro
und
to h
elp
me
get o
n th
e tra
in.”
Disa
bled
pas
seng
er, N
orth
ampt
on
27
Aspi
ratio
ns: D
isabl
ed p
asse
nger
s
At t
he s
tatio
n
Adva
nced
not
ice
abou
t pla
tform
cha
nges
des
ired
as s
ome
pass
enge
rs w
ith m
obili
ty is
sues
felt
anno
unce
men
ts a
re o
ften
last
min
ute
and
do n
ot a
llow
eno
ugh
time
to w
alk
to th
e ne
w p
latfo
rm
Som
e ru
ral s
tatio
ns n
ear C
rew
e do
not
hav
e st
ep-f
ree
acce
ss to
cro
ss o
ver t
o ot
her p
latfo
rms
Th
is al
so a
ffect
s pa
rent
s w
ith b
uggi
es/p
ushc
hairs
De
sire
for d
isabl
ed p
arki
ng c
lose
to s
tatio
n. O
ne sp
ecifi
c m
entio
n, in
Nor
tham
pton
, of t
he d
isabl
ed
park
ing
bein
g lo
cate
d fa
r aw
ay fr
om th
e st
atio
n an
d on
the
top
leve
l of t
he c
ar p
ark
M
ore
seat
s de
sired
on
the
plat
form
for c
omfo
rt
On
boar
d th
e tr
ain
M
ore
staf
f des
ired
on b
oard
trai
n an
d at
stat
ions
to o
ffer a
ssist
ance
Pa
rticu
larly
for h
elp
in b
oard
ing
the
train
for t
hose
with
mob
ility
issu
es
Pass
enge
rs th
ink
boar
ding
the
train
cou
ld b
e im
prov
ed b
y in
stal
ling
ram
ps in
stea
d of
ste
ps
Disa
bled
pas
seng
ers
wou
ld li
ke to
be
able
to m
ake
cont
act w
ith tr
ain
staf
f if n
eces
sary
–po
tent
ially
th
roug
h a
call
butto
n on
the
train
/on
the
plat
form
M
ore
seat
s de
sired
on
the
train
ded
icat
ed to
disa
bled
pas
seng
ers
De
sire
for t
he in
trodu
ctio
n of
a m
etho
d th
at a
lerts
fello
w p
asse
nger
s ab
out i
mpa
irmen
t, e.
g. ‘b
aby
on b
oard
’ pin
s whi
ch a
re su
pplie
d by
Lon
don
Unde
rgro
und
Th
is w
ould
hel
p di
sabl
ed p
asse
nger
s ge
t a s
eat w
ithou
t hav
ing
to p
ublic
ly e
xpla
in th
eir
cond
ition
to fe
llow
pas
seng
ers.
“I do
n’t w
ant t
o ha
ve to
arg
ue w
ith p
eopl
e ab
out m
y co
nditi
on
just
bec
ause
it is
n’t o
bvio
us; I
fain
t if I
stan
d fo
r too
long
and
th
at’s
why I
nee
d to
sit d
own,
man
y pe
ople
don
’t be
lieve
me.”
Di
sabl
ed p
asse
nger
, Birm
ingh
am
Di
sabl
ed p
asse
nger
s’ ne
eds
wer
e la
rgel
y in
line
with
thos
e of
non
-disa
bled
pas
seng
ers,
with
a fe
w e
xcep
tions
:
28
Quo
tes f
rom
disa
bled
pas
seng
ers
“Som
e of
the
plat
form
s don
’t ha
ve se
ats,
and
I alw
ays
try to
get
to th
e st
atio
n ea
rly a
nywa
y be
caus
e it
take
s m
e lo
nger
to g
et to
pla
ces,
but t
hen
when
I ge
t the
re
I rea
lly n
eed
to si
t dow
n be
caus
e I c
an’t
be o
n m
y fe
et fo
r too
long
but
ther
e is
no-w
here
!”Di
sabl
ed p
asse
nger
, Cre
we
“I wa
s on
the
plat
form
last
wee
k an
d an
an
noun
cem
ent c
ame
on sa
ying
that
the
plat
form
ha
d ch
ange
d; b
ut b
y th
e tim
e I m
ade
it to
the
new
plat
form
I’d
miss
ed m
y tra
in! I
was
so u
pset
.”Di
sabl
ed p
asse
nger
, Cre
we
“It d
oesn
’t m
ake
sens
e to
hav
e a
disa
bled
par
king
spot
on
the
seco
nd fl
oor o
f the
car-
park
if
you
then
hav
e to
wal
k do
wn a
flig
ht o
f sta
irs to
acc
ess t
he st
atio
n! I
know
ther
e’s a
ram
p, b
ut
it’s o
n th
e ot
her s
ide
and
you’
d ha
ve to
wal
k al
l the
way
aro
und
the
car p
ark
to th
en g
et in
to
the
stat
ion.
” Di
sabl
ed p
asse
nger
, Nor
tham
pton
“The
Twi
tter g
uy is
frie
ndly.
Whe
n I t
hink
of
Lond
on M
idla
nd I
thin
k of
the
guy
on th
e Tw
itter
fe
ed, b
ecau
se h
e’s p
erso
nabl
e, yo
u ca
n al
ways
ha
ve a
joke
with
him
. If t
he d
river
s and
the
cond
ucto
rs, if
they
wer
e a
bit m
ore
pers
onab
le.”
Disa
bled
pas
seng
er, B
irmin
gham
29
Awar
enes
s of F
ranc
hise
Pr
oces
s
30
Wha
t do
pass
enge
rs k
now
abo
ut ra
il fra
nchi
sing?
M
ost p
asse
nger
s kn
ew v
ery
little
abo
ut th
e ra
il fra
nchi
se s
yste
m, a
nd d
id n
ot h
ave
any
parti
cula
r opi
nion
s ab
out i
t
Som
e th
ink
that
som
e TO
Cs a
re g
iven
pre
fere
ntia
l tre
atm
ent o
ver o
ther
s e.
g. p
riorit
ised
entry
into
a
plat
form
A
few
men
tione
d th
at th
ey k
new
the
gove
rnm
ent w
as in
volv
ed to
som
e ex
tent
, but
cou
ld n
ot
elab
orat
e on
this
W
hen
prob
ed, t
he m
ajor
ity h
ad n
o kn
owle
dge
abou
t any
of t
he fo
llow
ing
aspe
cts:
Cr
iteria
for e
valu
atin
g bi
ds, a
nd w
ho s
ets
this
crite
ria
Who
dec
ides
whi
ch b
idde
r is
awar
ded
the
cont
ract
, or a
nyth
ing
abou
t the
stag
es in
the
proc
ess
H
ow lo
ng th
e co
ntra
cts
are,
and
that
they
can
be
ende
d ea
rly if
dee
med
nec
essa
ry
That
pas
seng
ers
have
som
e in
put i
nto
the
proc
ess.
“I’m
sure
diff
eren
t com
pani
es p
ay d
iffer
ent m
oney
to d
iffer
ent l
ines
or
have
prio
ritie
s, be
caus
e I’v
e sa
t on
train
s, in
Wol
verh
ampt
on th
at h
ave
been
read
y to
go a
nd b
een
told
we’
re w
aitin
g be
caus
e we
’ve b
een
told
bas
ically
we
need
to le
t the
oth
er tr
ain
thro
ugh
first
and
pr
edom
inan
tly th
at’s
when
you’
re o
n a
Lond
on M
idla
nd o
ne, a
nd y
ou
have
to le
t Virg
in th
roug
h.”
Birm
ingh
am g
roup
, Com
mut
er, O
lder
31
Littl
e se
nse
of re
latio
nshi
p fe
lt w
ith T
OC
“The
Twi
tter g
uy is
frie
ndly.
Whe
n I t
hink
of
Lond
on M
idla
nd I
thin
k of
the
guy
on th
e Tw
itter
feed
, bec
ause
he’
s per
sona
ble,
you
can
alwa
ys h
ave
a jo
ke w
ith h
im. I
f the
driv
ers a
nd
the
cond
ucto
rs, if
they
wer
e a
bit m
ore
pers
onab
le.”
Birm
ingh
am g
roup
, Com
mut
er, Y
oung
er
“No
I don
’t fe
el va
lued
as a
cust
omer
, not
wh
en I
have
to st
and
on a
crow
ded,
hot
, sm
elly
train
whi
ch w
as 1
0 m
inut
es la
te to
be
gin
with
!N
orth
ampt
on g
roup
, Bus
ines
s, Yo
unge
r
“May
be th
ey sh
ould
han
d ou
t som
e so
rt of
fe
edba
ck fo
rms o
n th
e tra
in, t
hat w
ould
mak
e it
look
like
at l
east
they
care
.”Cr
ewe
grou
p, C
omm
uter
, You
nger
“I’d
like
som
ethi
ng th
at m
akes
you
thin
k wh
en yo
u’re
sitti
ng o
n th
at tr
ain,
I’m
not
ju
st si
tting
on
any
old
train
, oh
I’m si
tting
on
a L
ondo
n M
idla
nd tr
ain,
and
act
ually
th
ey’re
qui
te p
leas
ed I
am.”
Birm
ingh
am g
roup
, Lei
sure
, Old
er
M
ost c
usto
mer
s di
dn’t
feel
a se
nse
of ‘r
elat
ions
hip’
with
thei
r ope
rato
r, de
spite
the
amou
nt o
f tim
e (c
omm
uter
s in
par
ticul
ar) s
pent
usin
g th
e se
rvic
e
Pa
ssen
gers
did
refe
r to
Lond
on M
idla
nd a
s a
‘loca
l’ se
rvic
e an
d sy
nony
mou
s with
the
regi
on
M
any
asso
ciat
ed th
e ex
tent
to w
hich
they
felt
they
had
a ‘r
elat
ions
hip’
with
Lon
don
Mid
land
on
the
amou
nt o
f sta
ff in
tera
ctio
n th
ey h
ad
Pass
enge
rs w
ho h
ad m
ore
and
posit
ive
inte
ract
ions
with
sta
ff fe
lt m
ore
of a
con
nect
ion
with
the
TOC
Pa
ssen
gers
felt
that
they
mig
ht fe
el m
ore
of a
rela
tions
hip
with
Lon
don
Mid
land
if th
e TO
C di
d m
ore
to
show
that
they
val
ued
thei
r cus
tom
ers
and
rew
arde
d th
eir l
oyal
ty
For e
xam
ple,
thro
ugh
loya
lty sc
hem
es, s
peci
al o
ffers
and
disc
ount
s.
32
Sum
mar
y an
d Co
nclu
sions
33
Expe
rienc
e of
trav
ellin
g on
Lon
don
Mid
land
O
vera
ll, p
asse
nger
s pe
rcei
ve tr
avel
with
the
Lond
on M
idla
nd s
ervi
ce to
be
chea
per r
elat
ive
to o
ther
op
erat
ors
in th
eir a
rea
H
owev
er, t
hey
feel
the
serv
ice
they
get
is la
ckin
g in
seve
ral a
spec
ts, p
artic
ular
ly w
ith re
gard
s to
disr
uptio
ns
and
serv
ice
leve
l:
Ther
e ar
e fre
quen
t disr
uptio
ns, i
nclu
ding
del
ays
and
last
min
ute
canc
ella
tions
De
lays
som
etim
es m
ean
a tra
in w
ill ‘s
kip’
sch
edul
ed c
allin
g po
ints
in o
rder
to m
ake
up ti
me
Di
srup
tions
are
not
wel
l com
mun
icat
ed a
nd p
asse
nger
s do
n’t k
now
wha
t the
impa
ct o
n th
eir t
rave
l w
ill b
e, w
hat t
heir
alte
rnat
ives
are
, or w
hat t
he re
ason
s ar
e
Com
mun
icat
ions
at t
he s
tatio
n ar
e no
t alw
ays
up to
dat
e, o
ften
bein
g le
ss in
form
ativ
e th
an th
e Tw
itter
feed
or o
nlin
e re
sour
ces
(e.g
. Nat
iona
l Rai
l web
site)
Pe
ak s
ervi
ces
are
regu
larly
ove
rcro
wde
d
Pass
enge
rs d
on’t
feel
the
num
ber o
f car
riage
s pr
ovid
ed o
n se
rvic
es a
re re
flect
ive
of d
eman
d
In
add
ition
, whi
le m
any
perc
eive
cos
t of t
rave
l to
be re
ason
able
, not
eve
ryon
e fe
els
they
are
get
ting
the
best
dea
l:
Man
y fin
d it
diffi
cult
to e
stab
lish
wha
t the
che
apes
t tic
ket i
s fo
r the
ir tra
vel,
with
out s
taff
assis
tanc
e
Irreg
ular
and
par
t-tim
e w
orke
rs fe
el th
ere
are
insu
ffici
ent t
icke
t typ
es a
vaila
ble
to g
ive
them
goo
d va
lue
for m
oney
Re
gula
r tra
velle
rs fa
ce a
nnua
l pric
e in
crea
ses,
with
out a
lway
s se
eing
ser
vice
impr
ovem
ents
W
hilst
the
envi
ronm
ent a
t the
sta
tion
and
on b
oard
the
train
are
not
of h
ighe
st p
riorit
y, so
me
issue
s ar
e id
entif
ied:
Sm
all s
tatio
ns la
ck b
asic
faci
litie
s, e.
g. sh
elte
r, ad
equa
te li
ghtin
g, to
ilets
or v
endi
ng p
oint
s
Trai
ns a
re c
onsid
ered
bas
ic a
nd h
ave
a su
b-op
timal
layo
ut fo
r bus
y se
rvic
es o
r lug
gage
spa
ce
They
are
ofte
n pe
rcei
ved
as u
ncle
an, w
ith in
suffi
cien
t rub
bish
bin
s an
d a
lack
of c
lean
ing
staf
f.
34
Mos
t des
ired
impr
ovem
ents
: in
a nu
tshe
ll
Prob
lem
av
oida
nce
Cl
eare
r com
mun
icat
ion
of
ticke
t opt
ions
and
fare
s
Mor
e ca
rriag
es o
n ex
istin
g tra
ins
at p
eak
hour
s
Bette
r sch
edul
ing
of tr
ains
to
avo
id d
elay
s
Dis
trac
tion
Cl
eane
r car
riage
s an
d to
ilets
on
boar
d th
e tra
in
Wi-F
i and
plu
g so
cket
s on
boa
rd
train
s
In n
o pa
rtic
ular
ord
er
Prob
lem
re
solu
tion
M
akin
g de
lay
repa
ymen
t sc
hem
e ea
sier t
o us
e an
d m
ore
visib
le
Al
low
ing
ticke
ts to
be
inte
rcha
ngea
ble
with
ot
her T
OCs
(e.g
. Virg
in
Trai
ns) i
n ca
se o
f di
srup
tion
Info
rmat
ion
abou
t pro
blem
s
Be
tter c
omm
unic
atio
n ab
out d
elay
s an
d ca
ncel
latio
ns a
t sta
tions
and
pr
ior t
o ar
rival
(e.g
. Tw
itter
, em
ail,
text
…)
M
ore
and
bette
r inf
orm
ed
staf
f on
train
s and
pla
tform
s to
ass
ist in
the
even
t of
canc
ella
tions
or d
elay
s
35
Cont
act D
etai
ls
JOHN CONNAUGHTO
NCE
O
John
.Con
naug
hton
@illum
inas.com
0207 909 093
5
ADDRES
S DET
AILS
Illum
inas, 183‐203 Eve
rsho
lt Street, L
ondo
n, NW1 1B
U02
0 79
09 092
9
www.illuminas‐globa
l.com
MIA PAUKO
VIC
Research M
anag
er
Mia.Pau
kovic@
illum
inas.com
0207 909 180
1
ADAM BLO
WER
Research M
anag
er
Ada
m.Blower@
illum
inas.com
0207 909 046
9
DAN TAY
LOR
Policy an
d Re
search Adv
iser
dan.taylor@
passen
gerfoc
us.org.uk
0300 123 083
8
SHARON HED
GES
Passen
ger Issue
s Man
ager
sharon
.hed
ges@
passen
gerfoc
us.org.uk
0791
8 62
6 12
6
For Illu
minas
:
For P
asse
nger Foc
us :
36
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