Peer review: Anthony Smith
Chief Executive, Transport Focus
Having become Transport Focus as of this spring - when the Department for Transport expanded our remit beyond our previous role of representing the interests of rail, bus, tram and coach passengers - we are rapidly developing our understanding of the needs of users of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) in England… motorways and major A-roads.
It has been interesting to use this new knowledge to compare the priorities for journey improvements for rail passengers and car drivers. While car drivers rank improved road surface quality ahead of anything else, ride quality does not feature in rail passengers’ top 30.
The top priority for rail passengers is better value for money for the price of their ticket, but value for money is not an issue for car drivers. They may think about fuel costs and parking charges, but the true cost of motoring (vehicle costs, insurance, vehicle duty) are largely ignored, although in other research we do see the cost of parking cited as a reason for taking the bus or train into city centres these days.
One common desire is for a more reliable journey experience. Reduced journey times rank fifth and increased reliability seventh for car drivers, while for rail passengers more trains arriving on
time comes out fourth and less frequent major unplanned disruptions sixth.
Sadly ‘green issues’ barely feature in our research among transport users. Better protection of the environment ranks 11th for car drivers, and while rail passengers acknowledge the green credentials of electric trains, they are more impressed by more frequent, reliable services and the more modern, comfortable environment these provide.
Knowledge of the regulatory environment is equally confused among both rail and road users. Drivers do not understand which roads constitute the SRN, nor the responsibilities of Highways England - they do not know whether it is central government, county councils or local authorities who fund and maintain the roads on which they travel. On rail, passengers do not understand the role of government and franchising, nor how Network Rail and the train companies interact, although many do at least identify with their train operator as the one to blame when things go wrong!
Our research has shown that rail passengers have little trust in train companies to deliver a decent service, and that (to a large extent) this is because there is a lack of any real relationship between train companies and their passengers. Rail passengers tend to feel they have little control over their journey, and being ‘in control’ is seen as a major benefit of driving.
We know that rail passengers would rather their train be diverted via a longer, slower route than use a replacement bus. And yet, when we have surveyed those forced to use a bus during planned engineering works, the experience is generally better than they had anticipated. This may be an extreme way of prompting modal switch (and not one the train operators are likely to support), but anecdotal evidence supports the idea that passengers can be forced into long-term changes by a short-term change.
Strikes affecting one mode may provide the motivation to research alternatives, and while the experience of a strike day may be off-putting, the seed may be planted. The long-term disruption of London Bridge, the temporary closure of the tram stop at Manchester Victoria or of specific platforms at Embankment, Tottenham Court Road and the like on London Underground,
may all occasion change that is maintained even after ‘normal service’ is resumed.
It is not in TF’s remit to promote one mode over any other, but we do believe operators must understand travellers’ priorities - and good connection with all forms of public transport is key.
