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BLOGS


A selection of our recent blogs posted at www.railtechnologymagazine.com


February 18 Depends Which? survey you choose


Train operators have hit back at the latest Which? survey, claiming that such a small sample of passengers does not provide conclusions as reliable as the National Passenger Survey by Passenger Focus.


Depending on the fi gures consulted, a single operator can either be cast as the worst performing, or one with consistently high levels of satisfaction.


The size of the sample and make-up of that group are important factors to bear in mind when considering any statistics.


Additionally, there are certain


questions which are always likely to receive a negative answer – few passengers would concede that they are happy with the high fares they are paying, and can see the fruits of that investment.


Still, such feedback should not be dismissed out of hand by the operators it highlights – those identifi ed as the worst for satisfaction should take action to ensure they are improving their passengers’ happiness.


February 1 Back on track?


The recent announcements on the Government’s franchising programme demonstrate the intention to continue running competitions in a very similar way to the award of the West Coast Main Line contract last year.


The two reviews into the incident showed serious errors in calculations within that process, but not with the wider franchising programme. This means that competitions will now be resumed, although with extensions for the current providers in the interim.


This could cause extended


Never one to turn down a challenge!


Rail Technology Magazine media sales executive Patrick Bowley has signed up as part of a charity team to trek over the Andes in Peru this July.


Trekking for Childreach International, the team hopes to traverse the high Salkantay Pass and aims to reach the ancient city of the Incas, Machu Picchu, six days later after pushing over the high passes, through the pampas grasslands and mountain forests along the trail.


Patrick’s fundraising target is £2,450 – he has already had great support from friends and colleagues eager to support the charity’s global work to improve


12 | rail technology magazine Feb/Mar 13


access to education and healthcare. He has been holding raffl es and events, and getting in some serious training with the team. To support them with their charity fundraising, or to learn more, visit mydonate. bt.com/fundraisers/patrickbowley or www.childreach.org.uk


confusion in the industry as to what will be done differently.


It is necessary to move things forward as soon as possible to avoid a failure of confi dence throughout the supply chain, as well as mounting costs, but this direction certainly looks the same. What has changed to ensure another mistake of such epic proportions does not happen again?


January 17 East Coast control


Despite the best efforts of the public sector in the form of Directly Operated Railways, East Coast has continued to see poor performance fi gures and disruption.


Rail minister Simon Burns has reaffi rmed the Government’s intention to hand operations on


the ECML back to private control, in a move to improve reliability and modernise the railway.


Unions may continue to hold up renationalisation as the ideal that we must return to, but this particular example has not given much of a boost to their cause, with PPM fi gures languishing in the 70-80% region recently. Not completely East Coast’s fault of course,


nor necessarily any


statement on public vs private management: but it doesn’t look good.


The line needs investment and focus to overcome the challenges of meeting passenger demand whilst cutting costs.


i More blogs like this at:


www.railtechnologymagazine.com/ the-sleepers-daily-blog


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