Merseyrail has been named the best franchised rail operator in the country, following results from the National Rail Passenger Survey for autumn 2019.
The rail operator achieved 91 per cent overall
satisfaction among its passengers in the bi-annual survey which is conducted by
independent consumer watchdog Transport Focus and is a respected industry
barometer.
Merseyrail’s satisfaction rate is nine per cent
higher than the national average, and is especially significant given that
surveys were carried out during a time when platform upgrade works activity was
being carried out across the network preparing stations for the new fleet of
trains that will begin to operate later this year.
Station staff were also praised, with Merseyrail
passengers the most satisfied in the country when it comes to attitude and helpfulness
of station staff.
Merseyrail also topped the charts for frequency of
trains and value for money, cementing the operator as one of the best in the
country.
The National Rail Passenger Survey is the largest
published rail passenger satisfaction survey in the world.
Merseyrail is consistently one of the best
performing rail operators in the country – being named the most punctual in the
country for the last two years, and achieving its best performing year ever in
2019, with 96.36 per cent of trains running on schedule.
Speaking about the survey, Merseyrail Managing
Director Andy Heath said: “Our customers are at the heart of everything that we
do, and this is reflected in the impressive results we have achieved in this
survey.
“Topping the survey for station staff attitude and
helpfulness, value for money and frequency of service is especially pleasing as
we know this is what our customers want from their local rail network.
“As we move forward and begin to introduce the new,
state-of-the-art trains we aim to continue to improve and provide the
high-quality service we have become known for.”
