Train companies are changing their business to put passengers first

A major rail company has recently introduced television on its trains, but it is not the only innovation aimed at improving passengers' journeys.

Central Trains have embarked on a campaign that is putting the passenger first. The campaign will effect its local and long distance services in the Midlands to South Wales, the North West, East Anglia and the East Coast.

Transport Minister Kim Howells saw the new television screens recently in Birmingham. He also helped to open a new academy that will give staff intensive training on customer service.

The initiatives reflect calls made by transport ministers to rail service companies to put more effort into meeting the needs of customers.

Kim Howells commented:

"Central Trains are to be congratulated for this initiative which should improve the journey experience for passengers as well as providing them with up to date information about their train service."

The television service provides passengers in the West Midlands with travel information, news, sports and entertainment. It is managed by TNX TV and funded by advertising.

When asked, eight out of ten passengers in trains that piloted the service said they liked it. The 21-inch screens are in one section of each carriage so passengers will also have a quiet area.

Customer service

The service is part of a culture change programme, called 'C-Change' that Central Trains have developed.

From September 2004, all staff will receive intensive training in the academy so that they will come to see their trains through the eyes of passengers.

Staff will be taught what travel information passengers want and why, and how best to deal with difficult and aggressive passengers. They will even be taught about seemingly small details such as the importance of being visible to passengers and wearing a name badge.

The training is based on what passengers say they want. This, for instance, has led Central Trains to develop communication networks so that staff can tell passengers the any delays to their journey and their causes.

The 'C-Change' programme also involves teams of people who have been looking at the different aspects of travelling by train, including getting to a station. The plan is that Central Train can change the way it operates in order to improve the whole of a passenger's experience of a train journey.

Central Trains Managing Director Nick Brown, said:

"This is a major new development for Central, as part of our ongoing commitment to provide high quality train services which meet our passengers needs. We are the first train company to offer TVs on train and think it will make a real difference to our passengers."

Putting the rail passenger first is a principle that the Transport Department has been championing. The department led the development of new contracts, launched in November 2002, that included agreements with train service operators on passenger satisfaction.

Championing passengers

In July 2004, the department published proposals for the reform of the railway industry. Two key principles were that the railways operated in the public interest and that there is an improved partnership between the public and private sectors.

Other recent rail developments that focussed on the passenger include a special phone line that enables c2c train passengers in the South East to tell the company if the cleanliness of their train is not up to standard.

Another development was a one-stop-shop for rail, bus and coach tickets, car hire, parking services, local accommodation and real-time travel information for airline passengers at Luton Airport.

In December 2003, the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, told the Rail Passengers' Council:

"Improving performance is important, but the industry must also treat passengers as valued customers - customer service matters too.

"Rail is used by different people for different reasons. But the thing they have in common is they expect to be treated as customers. They expect to make choices about how and when they travel, and what they pay."

Published: 29 July 2004.