National Rail Passenger Survey Methodology

02 July 2014

Since 1999 the National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) has measured customer satisfaction consistently between different train operating companies in England, Scotland and Wales.

The sample size is large enough to identify statistically significant changes in satisfaction ratings and to recognise meaningful trends in perceptions over time.

The survey is carried out twice a year (in two waves). The same questions are asked each wave, except that a few sections/questions are only included once a year (in either the spring or autumn). Broadly similar rail companies are compared and satisfaction can also be compared on different routes and by different size bands of station.

Results of other surveys may differ from NRPS as the timing, questions asked, weighting and sample size may be different and produce different data.