Award of the Essex Thameside franchise to c2c: Passenger Focus response
27 June 2014
Responding to the Government’s decision to award the Essex Thameside franchise to the current operator c2c, Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus’s chief executive said: “We welcome the ambitious plans for the first period of this new Essex Thameside franchise. We look forward to working with c2c to help them deliver the passenger benefits promised.
“While we await more details, some important commitments are made. In our submission and discussions about the franchise we identified the top passenger priorities as punctuality, sufficient capacity and value for money. So, we particularly welcome the intention to run 90 per cent of trains to within one minute of the timetable by December 2018, new trains to provide additional capacity and an increase in services and the right to be sold the cheapest ticket. Provision of step-free access at all stations, personalised travel information and performance reports and an automatic compensation schemes for delays over two minutes are also very welcome.
“C2c has recently been a strong performer in our National Rail Passenger Survey. But the most recent NRPS, published earlier this week (25 June), has seen a dip in satisfaction in some key areas. We’ll be looking closely at the franchise details to assess how the new plans will deliver improved quality of service, drive up passenger satisfaction and build trust.”
Here is the link to the latest National Rail Passenger Survey: https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/news/articles/overall-satisfaction-steady-individual-passenger-experience-remains-varied.
Click link below to see the c2c’s spring 2014 National Rail Passenger Survey at a glance guide:
NRPS c2c at a glance guide – spring 2014
Background
