Branch line Britain: catching passengers’ views

16 September 2014

Our National Rail Passenger Survey is answered by about 63,000 passengers across Great Britain. It is a big enough sample to ensure good data for all train companies. We are able to cover about two or three routes (mostly three) within each. Everyone wants more detailed data to enable them to really identify where issues are.

The Community Rail movement has been very successful. With funding from local authorities, train companies and the Department for Transport, local officers help shape community involvement, publicity and boost rail use. It has been a great success helping to boost passenger use on many lines.

The Department for Transport is keen to find out what those passengers think of the services on these lines. Do their views differ from the norm? Are there special factors at work? Only one way to find out – ask those passengers. So a boost has been organised to the current NRPS wave which is being carried out now – you may get given a questionnaire at a station: please fill it in!

To ensure a sufficiently wide geographical spread and variation of type of line, 12 have been picked:

 

1. Conwy Valley Line     |     Llandudno – Blaenau Ffestiniog (via Llandudno Junction)

2. Derwent Valley Line      |     Derby – Matlock

3. Avocet Line      |     Exeter – Exmouth

4. Heart of Wessex Line     |     Bristol (Temple Meads) – Westbury – Weymouth (train origin is also sometimes Gloucester instead of Bristol)

5. East Suffolk Line     |     Ipswich – Lowestoft

6. Gainsborough Line     |     Sudbury – Marks Tey

7. Marston Vale Line     |     Bletchley – Bedford

8. East Lancs Line     |     Preston – Colne (through Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley and Barracks)

9. Mid Cheshire Line     |     Chester – Stockport

10. Tyne Valley Line     |     Newcastle upon Tyne – Carlisle

11. Brighton – Seaford Line

12. Island Line

The results will be available in January 2015 – should make interesting reading.