South Western franchise – Transport Focus response

04 July 2016

Commenting on the South Western franchise invitation to tender, Transport Focus passenger director David Sidebottom said:

“Passengers along the South Western network tell us that their key priorities are more seats on trains and more varied ticket types that provide better value for money.”

“It’s good to see that passenger satisfaction, as measured by our National Rail Passenger Survey, will be used to assess how the franchise delivers on passengers’ expectations. It is essential that any new franchise puts passengers’ interest at the heart.”

Background

Publication of the invitation to tender for the South Western franchise represents an important step in the progress of the franchise competition as it sets out the framework for bidders to develop proposals for better journeys for passengers.

Transport Focus’s submission to the consultation on the franchise can be found here.

The Department for Transport’s South Western franchise stakeholder briefing document can be found here.