Rail passengers want train companies to make ‘early call’ on snow disruption

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When it snows heavily passengers need a straight answer to the question: “Can I get where I want to go?” – and they want the answer before they leave home.

Passenger Focus asked its passenger panel of over a 1000 members to feedback on their experiences of the industry’s performance during the recent severe winter weather.

One passenger commented: “The greatest frustration throughout the period, however, was not with the train services themselves – they cannot help the weather – but the woefully poor information which was provided”.

The independent passenger watchdog has called on industry to take the lessons learned from the winter, re-double efforts during unplanned disruption and make sure it’s ready for future extreme weather conditions and disruption generally.

Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, said: “As well as the information problems, passengers reported chaotic experiences, where some were left standing on the station platform, not knowing when or if a train will come. Others told stories of being stranded in unfamiliar conditions in sub-zero temperatures without help and advice.

“During winter weather, accurate information is more important than ever. If passengers arrive at the station and the service bears no resemblance to the information sourced at home, it is doubly frustrating – especially if they battled their way to the station and then can’t take the train they were led to believe was running.”

Passenger Focus is now feeding back the results of the disruption panel to industry to help make a difference for Great Britain’s rail passengers.

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