The Rail Delivery Group has published the first set of results from the new Rail Customer Experience Survey (RCXS), which aims to provide a comprehensive and granular view of how passengers feel about the railway.
Responses are collected from passengers en route to their destination, with those questioned asked to voice their experiences and share their perspective on journeys, as well as areas that may be improved.
Between mid-July and early October, 88% of journeys were rated very or fairly satisfied, with customers also rating the ease of journey planning and providing a 95% satisfaction rate.
The early release of data, which covers the period between 20 July and 11 October, aims to offer an indication of how passengers would rate key aspects of their journey, with Frequency and Punctuality Satisfaction reported at 77% and 86% respectively.
The survey, which replaces the former National Rail Passenger Survey, also looks to capture a range of operationally relevant measures, including the quality of timeliness of information, station experience and staff interaction. Data is set to be updated every rail period (four weeks).
Jacqueline Starr, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group, said:We’re grateful to the thousands of customers who have already taken part in this survey, giving us a clear and consistent picture of what matters most to them. The first results show that overall customer satisfaction is high, highlighting we're on the right track. They also point to areas where customers want to see improvement, helping us focus on the changes that will make the biggest difference.
As we move towards the creation of Great British Railways, this survey makes sure that customer priorities are embedded across the network, so improvements are shared widely, shaping a rail network which meets the needs of passengers today and in the future.
The estimated sample size of the survey exceeds 130,000 passengers, with its methodology also incorporating new technology that identifies the specific train a respondent is travelling on.
