Is it worth it? Passengers say yes to improved stations

12 October 2016

Are station improvements worth the money? Yes, even if it means short term pain for passengers.

That’s the finding of the latest research from independent transport watchdog.

Improving stations: improving passenger satisfaction looks at the past five years’ National Rail Passenger Survey results to find out how improvements to stations affect passenger satisfaction.

The independent watchdog is calling on Network Rail and train operators to focus on the things that are most important to passengers in the design and the delivery of station improvements.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent transport watchdog, said:

“Stations are the gateway to Britain’s railway. It’s vital that passengers continue to be at the heart of future station improvements.

“Investment in stations can improve passengers’ satisfaction with them when targeted at features which make a difference to their experience. This includes arrival time information, waiting rooms and the overall look and feel of the station.”

Key findings include:

• passengers’ satisfaction with stations has significantly increased following improvement works
• passenger satisfaction tends to dip during improvement works
• passengers are less satisfied with the availability of staff and attitudes and helpfulness of staff at stations run by Network Rail
• communication with passengers and the availability of staff are crucial when stations are being re-built and improved.

The research covers passenger satisfaction levels at over 50 major railways stations, overall satisfaction at the station and factors such as satisfaction with passenger safety and security at the station.

To download the full report, click here.

The National Rail Passenger Survey asks passengers for views on the journey they have just taken. Over 30,000 passengers are surveyed twice each year, covering satisfaction with over 30 aspects of the service. This report looks at the last ten waves of the survey, Autumn 2011 – Spring 2016.

Download the most recent NRPS report or explore the results further via our infographic.

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