Understanding the impact of railway staff

16 July 2020

In recent years the role of staff on the railway has become an increasingly contentious issue. As an evidence-based organisation Transport Focus wanted to get a better understanding of where and how staffing might impact passenger satisfaction. The better we understand this, the better we can ensure that the railway’s plans reflect passengers’ aspirations.

The National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) asks passengers how satisfied they are with the journey they are making when invited to complete the survey. It covers over thirty different elements of that journey, including staff availability and helpfulness on the train and at the station. By conducting a ‘deep dive’ analysis of this data over a five year period we hoped to see if there had been any discernible differences in passenger satisfaction with staff.

You can download the report below.