Signs of improvement for rail passengers in Scotland

28 January 2020

Rail passengers in Scotland have recorded one of the biggest improvements in rail satisfaction in Britain.  

Transport Focus today releases its latest National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) of almost 28,000 passengers. More than 1300 ScotRail passengers gave their views – and almost nine in 10 were satisfied, the second-biggest increase overall.  

Chief executive Anthony Smith said:  

“Passengers in Scotland have felt the benefit of investment and stabilised performance. Satisfaction with punctuality has increased, and this is crucial – the most important thing for passengers is a service they can rely on.  

“ScotRail’s focus on delivering its performance remedial plan has resulted in the best autumn punctuality figures in five years. Delivery of the NRPS remedial plan, and investment in new trains and timetable enhancements, has seen satisfaction in most train factors rise. Overall satisfaction with the train rose to 84 per cent compared to autumn 2018 (75 per cent) together with the helpfulness and attitude of staff on the train, up to 80 per cent. 

Satisfaction with rail across Great Britain was its lowest level in a decade in autumn 2018. However, a combination of more stable performance and new trains has seen passenger satisfaction buoyed in parts, including Scotland. 

Transport Focus will use the evidence from the survey as it continues to push for wide-scale reform of the industry, and immediate improvement in reliability for the worst-affected areas.  

Key ScotRail results (for more, please see the full report)  

Notes to editors 

• Media contact – Misha MccGwire misha.mccgwire@transportfocus.org.uk / 0300 123 0821. 
•  Transport Focus is the independent transport watchdog representing the interests of: 
  • rail passengers in Great Britain 
  • bus, coach and tram passengers across England outside London 
  • all users of England’s motorways and major ‘A’ roads (the Strategic Road Network). 

We work to make a difference for all transport users. 

•  We spoke to nearly 28,000 passengers from 2 September to 10 November 2019, and asked them to rate the journey they had just made. Passengers are asked to take part online or on paper, at 700 stations and on board trains across Great Britain. We select enough passengers to be representative of the entire network. Questionnaires are distributed at different times of day and across all days of the week.  
•  Across Great Britain more passengers were satisfied overall – 82 per cent, up from autumn 2018 (79 per cent).