Transport Focus Update Nina Howe Passenger Manager

1. Transport Focus Update Nina Howe Passenger Manager

2. Introduction • My role • Objective - Secure improved services for passengers on the Great Western Rail Network • Research – wider insights as well as bespoke research focused on the network • Approach • Critical friend - productive working relationship with GWR • Keen to share insight and work together with all stakeholders, such as TravelWatch SouthWest to help influence rail industry decision making and drive improvements

3. Update • Franchising • Provide advice to the DfT on how far we think bids meet passenger needs • Provide passenger insights - Passenger priorities for improvement: Value for money the number one priority. Getting a seat, more frequent and punctual trains, and better information when there are delays were also among the top priorities • GW DA - includes greater capacity; some journey time gains; NRPS targets; Passenger Reports; Passenger Charter; more car parking; improvements in ticketing and information • Going forward work to help ensure that the interests of passengers remain front and centre over the life of the franchise • Performance and service improvements • Consistently good day to day service is key driver in passengers’ satisfaction and trust in the rail industry. • National Rail Passenger Survey - effective, trusted and cost effective way of encouraging longer-term improvements for rail passengers

4. Update • Disruption • GWR passenger satisfaction with delay handling down 44% to 39% in Spring NRPS wave • Focus needs to be on all types of delay not just major ones. Key factors being…amount of information; usefulness & accuracy; speed; resolution time • Engineering work • Keen to ensure passenger needs considered early in planning process and adequate information provision supplied throughout • Inputting into project and comms team on major possessions to help GWR refine planning and comms, using passenger research • Our research in the build up to and during the Bath engineering shows passenger information must focus on central passenger requirement - ‘what does it mean for my journey?’ • Passengers (particularly commuters) need early information and have a ‘hierarchy’ of information needs • Complaints and Appeals • If passengers have a complaint which the train company has not resolved to their satisfaction then our contact team will try to help

5. Evidence Base... • In total we speak to over 142,00 passengers each year • National Rail Passenger Survey (‘NRPS’) – 60,000+ questionnaires completed each year. Used in franchise contracts, bonus schemes, business plans and by Network Rail Major Stations • Bus Passenger Survey (‘BPS’) – 45,000+ questionnaires completed this year. Widely used to benchmark performance among bus companies and local authorities, supports investment and business plans • Road User Survey – currently piloting methodologies for road user satisfaction survey • Issue based research – smart ticketing, performance, trust, passenger priorities for improvement etc.

6. NRPS: what passengers tell us about their services… • Benchmark of rail passenger satisfaction - assesses service aspects that are important to passengers • Passengers asked for views of an ‘actual’ journey • It enables us to monitor trends in passenger satisfaction over time and across train operating companies (TOCs) • Identifies areas that are performing poorly / well and highlights need to look into particular service areas in more detail • Data tool allows you to examine trends at a more granular level

7. …and how they travel to / would like to travel to the station • NRPS data not only provides a wealth of information on the rail journey itself but also on how passengers access the rail network • Enables insight into passenger’s attitude to current behaviour and what they believe would be improvements / and or change their behaviour, providing a useful basis for thinking about integrated transport • Food for thought for this afternoon’s discussions…

8. What do we know about modal access? How do passengers access the rail network? • Most passengers already arrive at the station by foot (50%) - 58% of commuters, 38% of business and 45% of leisure passengers • After that, excluding over/under-ground train connections where they are available, the next most common mode of access is by car (17%), either dropped off/parked at station. This goes up to 20% if you include those arriving at the station by taxi. 11% arrive by bus / coach Satisfaction with accessing the station • Nationally, satisfaction with public transport connections at stations is reasonably high at 74%. Slightly lower score for South West region (68%) and GWR Western building block lower still (65%) • In contrast, satisfaction scores for the provision of car parking nationally are consistently low (49%). Whilst score is much higher in South West - at 69% - and GWR Western building block has seen an increase in satisfaction - now at 73% Do passengers want to access the station in a different way? • Nationally, over one in ten people (15%) say, that if circumstances were different they would consider using an alternative mode of access National Passenger Survey Spring 2015

9. Source: National Rail Passenger Survey. Sample size: 4,108 (15% of the total)

10. Source: National Rail Passenger Survey. Sample size: 271 (17% of the total)

11. Source: National Rail Passenger Survey. Sample size: 4,108

12. Source: National Rail Passenger Survey. Sample size: 271

13. Thank you • Questions….