Independent survey shows growing numbers of customers pleased with Greater Anglia

Published on: Tuesday, 30 January 2018
Last updated: Tuesday, 30 January 2018

The main independent rail passenger survey has recorded increasing levels of customer satisfaction among Greater Anglia customers, especially in the areas of punctuality and reliability of trains, ticket buying facilities and helpfulness of staff.

Results of the Autumn National Rail Passenger Survey, undertaken by Transport Focus - the official industry watchdog, released today, show that year on year, Greater Anglia customer satisfaction levels have risen from 79 to 81 per cent.

The highest rises were recorded in categories for the punctuality/reliability of trains, which was up eight points to 81 per cent, and ticket buying facilities at stations, which also rose eight points to 82 per cent.

The company’s Stansted Express and Norwich – Ipswich – Colchester – London Intercity services also achieved some of their highest-ever overall satisfaction scores – at 93 per cent and 91 per cent respectively.

The company has been working hard to improve all aspects of its performance. In the last year, on average just under 90 per cent of Greater Anglia trains have arrived on time, according to the official Public Performance Measure results.

About 28 per cent of delays in the last 12 months were directly attributable to Greater Anglia. The company has spent millions of pounds improving the reliability of existing trains, many of which are now the most reliable of their class in the country.

The company leased 20 extra trains, creating an extra 100,000 seats a week to be provided across the Greater Anglia network and providing a further boost to train reliability.

Sixty new user-friendly ticket machines have been installed across the network, some of which have replaced old machines at Liverpool Street, Stansted Airport and Cambridge stations.

All ticket machines on the network now connect to a member of staff 24/7 at the press of a button to help customers with any queries.

Distinctive red “retail hubs” have been set up at Liverpool Street, Cambridge North and Stansted Airport, so customers can easily locate self service areas for buying and collecting tickets.

Ticket offices at Liverpool Street, Ipswich and Cambridge were also revamped in the last year.

The company launched new apps for Greater Anglia and Stansted Express, responding to growing numbers of customers choosing to buy on their mobile phones and online.

In addition, a new Customer Experience team was set up at the start of the new franchise in 2016. They have worked to help Greater Anglia staff on trains and at stations to provide better customer service, including improving information given to passengers on trains and at stations.

The latest survey shows customer satisfaction with Greater Anglia staff has increased.

80 per cent of customers are satisfied with the attitudes and helpfulness of staff – up two points – and 90 per cent are pleased with how station staff handle requests, up from 84 per cent, while the helpfulness and attitude of staff on trains went up five points to 65 per cent.

Greater Anglia Managing Director Jamie Burles said: “It’s great to see that the work we are putting into improving our customers’ journeys is resulting in increased satisfaction.

“However, there is still room for improvement and we can always do more to make our customers’ lives a little easier. We use the results from this survey to target areas where customers are telling us they want a better service from us, so this year we’re beginning to install wifi on all of our commuter trains and increasing the number of parking spaces for cars and bicycles at some stations.

“From next year, we’re replacing every single train on the network with brand new trains, which will all have more seats, plug and USB points and help us further improve train performance.”