The company which operates trains through Huddersfield has seen an improvement in its overall customer satisfaction rating.
The findings for TransPennine Express (TPE) are from the autumn 2016 National Rail Passenger Survey undertaken by independent watchdog, Transport Focus and show that overall satisfaction has improved by one per cent in the last 12 months to 84%.
Customers noted an improvement in the punctuality and reliability of services, which grew by 8% when compared with autumn 2015. This is due to the implementation of a temporary train plan on part of its network in autumn 2016 to help protect the reliability of services against the conditions caused by leaves on the line.
Connections with other train services improved by 7% while the provision of information about train times and platforms grew by 4%.
Kathryn O’Brien, customer experience director for TransPennine Express, said: “While the survey result show we are heading in the right direction there is still more work to be done. Later this year, we’ll begin refurbishing our existing, modern trains to like-new standard and will be introducing free wifi and on-board media servers to all our trains – meaning customers will be able to watch the latest news, films and TV shows. This, coupled with the introduction of 220 brand new carriages over the next four years will transform the experience we give to customers.”
Customers were interviewed between September and November 2016.
Grand Central Railway which operates to London on the East Coast Main Line from Brighouse and Mirfield has been revealed as one of the highest rated long distance train operators for customer satisfaction with 91% of passengers saying they were satisfied, or very satisfied, with Grand Central services.
Passengers cited sufficient room for all passengers to sit/stand (92% of passengers satisfied) and cleanliness of the interiors (89% of passengers satisfied) among the reasons for the high levels of satisfaction.
In addition, Grand Central was recognised for helpfulness and attitude of staff on our trains (89%, compared with the national average of 81%), as well as the availability of staff on the train (82% of passengers satisfied compared to a national average of 65%).
Richard McClean, managing director at Grand Central, said: “Our continued investment means this year we will be expanding our fleet, leasing five more trains from March 2017, which will provide increased capacity for our customers.
“We strive to go the extra mile to give customers those little extras that we know go a long way to making the best travel experiences, such as our investment in mid-life refurbishment of our Class 180 trains to ensure our passengers can travel in comfort.”
