What’s the secret?
20 March 2018
We launched our latest Tram Passenger Survey today, which again shows more than nine in 10 passengers are satisfied.
Trams continue to outperform both trains and buses in terms of passenger popularity, overall and on most key measures, as captured in our other core passenger surveys, the National Rail Passenger Survey and Bus Passenger Survey.
We see a similar pattern for commuters across the three transport modes, with trams outperforming both trains and buses.
So what makes tram travel so much better-rated?
Although value for money ratings dipped slightly from last year, there were still almost seven in 10 satisfied. They noted that they factored in the relative cost of the tram versus other modes of transport and the cost for the distance travelled. People said they were happy with the amount of payment methods available as well – something we know comes up often in the bus world.
We know that what also matters to passengers is the space, comfort and overall environment of the tram. These systems are mostly newer than some train operators’ fleets – but hopefully the standards will be kept up over the coming years, and not allowed to decline.
The challenge for all tram networks is keeping up with passenger demand. New lines and new trams appear to be popular. When new trams become more crowded we see passengers rate more poorly the space they have to stand and sit.
So a good result for tram networks. We’ll be taking the results out to the authorities and operators to help them see where they could improve even more. In the meantime, you’ll soon be able to watch the webinar of our results presentation earlier today – watch this space.