XC beats FGW.... so say the Customers

[whole diary]

[willc]

If anyone wants to peruse the full survey results, the pdf can be downloaded here http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/news-and-publications/document-search/

Having actually filled in one of these survey forms - for the spring round last year - I have to say that of their kind they are pretty thorough and probably a bit better constructed than an FGW^▸ (First Great Western) one I filled in last November. And the station ratings are based on the journey being made at the time you are surveyed. It doesn't discriminate on the basis of who runs those stations - so XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) gets it in the neck for other operators' failings, or credit for their successes.

There is clearly an issue with lumping the whole of FGW's operation in as London and South East but the same goes for NXEA^▸ (National Express East Anglia), with a similar mix of services on a smaller scale, which scored 79. FGW is actually spot on the average satisfaction rating for the category. And matters probably aren't helped by it operating probably the most tired-looking suburban fleet around London.

However, the only LSE operators that got a rating way above FGW were the Heathrow services, just shuttling up and down on a nice short route, c2c, with an effectively closed network, worked by a single type of train, and Chiltern, which again has an effectively segregated route for much of its network. The other firms with high scores were W&S^▸ (Wrexham and Shropshire (Open Access Operator)), Grand Central and Merseyrail, two operating a handful of trains a day, and another on a closed network. Is there a pattern emerging here?

I'm sure that if FGW cut back its network to London-Reading only, it too would achieve great marks but the bigger and more complex your operation,the more things there are to go wrong and more people using your trains to upset when that happens. Not sure there's any way round this, because if you tried to 'weight' the result it might obscure failings or distort what is supposed to be a way of getting an objective snapshot of how passengers see things around the country.

[Super Guard]

Not this passenger (not a bloody customer, particularly so in this instance).....

Want a coffee between Bristol Parkway and Taunton? No chance with XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)). Travelling down last Saturday I noted that their was a crew change at Temple Meads and the off-duty 'Retail Services Manager' stayed on board along with the new RSM.

Stuff like this really p*sses oops, can't put that, um, gets on my nerves and gives the rest of us a bad name. Assuming it wasn't one of our elusive HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) then the trolley handover should have taken place in F at the catering store so stocks can be checked in the fridge there. Even first class complimentaries should come off the trolley at the weekend so the RSM has no business hanging about the galley if they've not served the train. I personally will off drinks to first if I have time or if there's no catering on board, but don't go telling the managers that.

I'm really not a fan of XC, and it's such a shame to see Arriva putting it to the dogs, but I am glad there are still staff 'on the ground' that care enough to go beyond such as 'readytostart'. 

[Phil]

Phil, I rather think the situation at Chepstow is entirely different, XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) pass through there anyway, so stoppi g there isn't a massive effort, whereas melksham requires units and crew which don't exist at present..!

Go tell the Corsham Station campaign that

[willc]

Phil, the trains for Corsham don't exist either. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) has always taken the view that if Corsham and Wantage Road/Grove ever reopen that it would not stop expresses at them. With the loss of the Oxford-Bristol Turbo service, there's nothing else running past either place, so even if the councils ever do manage to get the money to build the stations from somewhere, they would need to find yet more to subsidise some sort of train service.

[IndustryInsider]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) has always taken the view that if Corsham and Wantage Road/Grove ever reopen that it would not stop expresses at them. With the loss of the Oxford-Bristol Turbo service, there's nothing else running past either place, so even if the councils ever do manage to get the money to build the stations from somewhere, they would need to find yet more to subsidise some sort of train service.

That's where the 'Wiltshire Electric Horseshoe' fits in nicely. 

[John R]

It wouldn't help Corsham though?

[vacman]

Phil, I rather think the situation at Chepstow is entirely different, XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) pass through there anyway, so stoppi g there isn't a massive effort, whereas melksham requires units and crew which don't exist at present..!

Go tell the Corsham Station campaign that

There's also the small matter of there actually been a station at Chepstow!

[caliwag]

But however...

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/5003869.First_Great_Western_voted_train_operator_of_the_year/?ref=rss

[amiddl]

But however... Shocked

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/5003869.First_Great_Western_voted_train_operator_of_the_year/?ref=rss

This does amaze me. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are not the worse but certainly a surprise as the best.

I have suffered a spate of problems with FGW over the last 6 months which has really put me off. I can rarely fault staff but stock problems, delays and a lack of planning puts FGW well down my list. Lower than XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))  probably not - but not that far above and certainly not train operator of the year..

[grahame]

But however... Shocked

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/5003869.First_Great_Western_voted_train_operator_of_the_year/?ref=rss

This does amaze me. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are not the worse but certainly a surprise as the best.

I have suffered a spate of problems with FGW over the last 6 months which has really put me off. I can rarely fault staff but stock problems, delays and a lack of planning puts FGW well down my list. Lower than XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))  probably not - but not that far above and certainly not train operator of the year..

I'm tring to work out how this was judged / how the winner was decided, while at the same time agreeing that FGW probably do deserve a "most improved" award because they've stepped up so far from the "last by a long way" position they found themselves in three years ago.   I found the following:

http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2010/02/eversholt-rail-awards-funniest-ever.html

http://www.railbusinessawards.com/sponsorship.html

Eversholt Rail, the main sponsors, are a RoSCo (part of HSBC), so it's likely that "best" isn't being judged from a passenger's viewpoint, but rather by how well they're liked by others in the industry, in particular those people who get all the money for hiring them older rolling stock than anyone else's fleet at prices which are very profitable to the stock owners.

[old original]

perhaps we are all forgetting that... "you can prove anything you want to with statistics"

[TrainSpy]

Actually if you have a look at the interview with Mark Hopwood on the awards website, its pretty clear that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) got the award for the improvements they've made in the last two years - which lets be fair are fairly significant - rather than that they're the 'best'. if you get the distinction! I like the fact he says he's proud of everyone at FGW... makes a change i suppose!

[Chris from Nailsea]

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