NR conducting passenger survey for new trains

[David Pemberton]

Hello

I got an email today inviting me to take part in an online survey,

"The Department for Transport is carrying out research amongst train customers looking at people's views on the next generation of trains - particularly what types of features would be of the greatest value to passengers. The research needs to take into account the views of different types of rail users - from very frequent users through to those who use trains very infrequently.

Accent is an independent market research company. We have been asked by the Department for Transport to carry out this research on their behalf. We have been provided with your contact details by one of the train operating companies as part of their working agreement with the Department for Transport.

This is your opportunity to input into the design of trains that will be used by passengers for the next 30 years. We very much hope that you will be able to spare the time to complete the on-line questionnaire. It should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. You do not have to complete the survey in one go - you can easily exit the survey and re-enter at the same point.

As mentioned this research is looking at what the trains need to offer customers in terms of features and facilities. The DfT and the train operating companies understand that ticket prices and service reliability are of great importance to train users and are looking at these elements in other research studies."

Quite a sophisticated conjoint (trade-off) survey covering e.g.

Seat configurations (arm rest, tables, reclining)
Lighting
Catering
Luggage space
Loos
Power points, WiFi, and phone coverage

It seems that I got invited to take the survey because I bought a ticket online in July (travelled NXEC, NNG-NCL)

Anyone else been invited to take part in the survey?

 

[gordonthemoron]

have you got a link to the survey?

 

[Dennis]

Does it really need a survey to find out what passengers like? Do they expect responses like

Catering - no thanks, I don't mind going hungry
Luggage space - the aisle is fine
Loos - small and smelly please
Power points, WiFi, and phone coverage - whatever for?

As for which seating configurations are most popular, a good way to assess this is check how 5hitty the headrests are; grey and gammy = popular seat.

 

[thelem]

Dennis: As David says it is about trade-offs. e.g. would you rather have loos and 3+2 seating, or no loos and 2+2 seating? Tables or arm rests? Power points or luggage space?

 

[David Pemberton]

have you got a link to the survey?

The link was personalized/unique and when I click it it says words to the effect of thanks for your answers this survey is closed.

The survey was very much about trade-offs. It took the price of the ticket for my journey (in this case an off-peak standard return) and presented two options at two one-way fares, and for each option there was various variables such as:

Option 1
No armrests, sun blind, 1 power point, average mobile call time between signal drops 15 mins, price £35

Option 2
Armrests, sun blind, 2 power points, average mobile call time 5 mins, price £38

And variations on these options in 32 different questions each a pair of trade offs like the above. Technical term is "conjoint", when I worked in the car business our market researchers used it to work out what price people would pay for options and features.

 

[poshbakerloo]

The seating in most of their trains needs to be redone. In their 323s its getting very worn! And the lighting in the 142 really don't exist, its so dim!

 

[Dennis]

Dennis: As David says it is about trade-offs. e.g. would you rather have loos and 3+2 seating, or no loos and 2+2 seating? Tables or arm rests? Power points or luggage space?

Obviously there will be have compromises* in the final design but the OP was about a survey asking what passengers want. Now, I might be wrong but 2+2 seating, mix of tables and airline, odourless and functional toilets, sensible lighting, space for luggage, adequate seating capacity, info provision etc are almost certain to be high on the list of passenger 'wants' and my question was the usefulness of a survey when the findings are going to be so obvious.

* on second thoughts, why compromise. For a change, give the pax what they want, exceed expectations and not provide what's cheapest. Also, forget faddish rubbish like seat back screens.

 

[Class 33]

Seating - Have seats that actually line up with the windows! Unlike seating in some trains I could mention!

Lighting - Not ridiculously overly bright lighting. Unlike most modern trains now(including the refurbished HST's), which really is ridiculously too bright. Impossible to see a thing out the windows when it's dark! Dimmer lighting please like the old trains.

Quiet Carriages - fitted with mobile phone blocking filters. As a hell of a lot of passengers clearly don't know the meaning of the words Quiet Carriage/Quiet Zone.

 

[monkey]

...ooh! I'd be interested in this! I've bought so many online tickets though, still havn't been asked..*hmpfff*

Lighting - Not ridiculously overly bright lighting. Unlike most modern trains now(including the refurbished HST's), which really is ridiculously too bright. Impossible to see a thing out the windows when it's dark! Dimmer lighting please like the old trains..

...yeah it really is irritating the lighting, why does it have to be so f****** bright for? if your tired and wanting to doze, it is rather irritating having the bright lights in your face...

 

[johnb]

For a change, give the pax what they want, exceed expectations and not provide what's cheapest.

But if you don't provide what's cheapest, then you need to provide less of it or charge more for it, because desires are infinite and resources are limited.

So that's the whole point of the survey, to find out which compromises people are least grumpy with: "would you rather pay £50 and sit at a table, or £30 and sit in an airline seat", etc.

 

[yorksrob]

Hmm, well, much as I dislike airline seats, one with a window is infinately better than one with a pillar. I'm not bothered about armrests but a deep seat cushion is very important. I'm alright with 3+2 seating as long as they're facing and I can get in and out easily. I can live without electrical sockets but a buffet is important.

Ah forget it. Just make it as much like a phase 1 CIG as you can.

 

[asylumxl]

I don't really understand why the survey cannot be public and accessible to everyone. They'd get a much larger sample and much more realistic view of what the public desires.

 

[Kneedown]

But if you don't provide what's cheapest, then you need to provide less of it or charge more for it

Not if the TOC's were to plough some of their profits back into the business instead of siphoning it off to the shareholders.

It always used to be a case of the customer coming first. These days the customer lags well behind the shareholder.

 

[thelem]

I don't really understand why the survey cannot be public and accessible to everyone. They'd get a much larger sample and much more realistic view of what the public desires.

It's about collecting a representative sample - they want to have responses from people who travel once a year, and people who travel every day. If you make it accessible to everyone then you will get a higher percentage of enthusiasts, which means your results will be unfairly biased in their favour.

 

[ukrob]

Not if the TOC's were to plough some of their profits back into the business instead of siphoning it off to the shareholders.

It always used to be a case of the customer coming first. These days the customer lags well behind the shareholder.

Where is the incentive for a TOC to invest into trains for a 10 year franchise?

 

[Old Timer]

The survey has nothing at all to do with Network Rail.

It is a DfT survey

 

[Class 33]

...ooh! I'd be interested in this! I've bought so many online tickets though, still havn't been asked..*hmpfff*

...yeah it really is irritating the lighting, why does it have to be so f****** bright for? if your tired and wanting to doze, it is rather irritating having the bright lights in your face...

They probably (wrongly) think that the travelling public actually prefers the much brighter carriage lighting. Whereas in reality I think most people would prefer the lighting not quite so horrendously bright. The lighting should be about as bright as seen on my avator photo. That's bright enough to see down the carriage, read newspapers, etc. I can't see the arguement for there having to be the much brighter lighting they have now.

Either that or it's probably some sort of regulations now that carriage lighting must be VERY bright.

On the flip side of that, you'd think of this age nowadays of conserving energy and saving the envionment, etc, surely it would be better then to have dimmer (but adequate enough) carriage lighting?!

 

[route:oxford]

Quiet Carriages - fitted with mobile phone blocking filters. As a hell of a lot of passengers clearly don't know the meaning of the words Quiet Carriage/Quiet Zone.

That'll be really handy when you're on the train and trying to dial 999.

Also antisocial if the "block" is leaking outside the carriage.

 

[ukrob]

Quiet Carriages - fitted with mobile phone blocking filters. As a hell of a lot of passengers clearly don't know the meaning of the words Quiet Carriage/Quiet Zone.

That will go down well with people using mobile broadband on their laptops.

 

[Class 33]

If you wish to use mobile broadband then, then I guess you shouldn't sit in a quiet carriage with the mobile phone blocking filters. Not that there are any in existence at the moment anyway.

Also as for dialing 999 if in the unlikely event of someone being attached or something, then unless you can't get to another carriage to call 999 then there is the emergency brake chord that can be used.

However, fortunately for some we may not get widespread use of the mobile phone blocking filter carriages, if atall. Unfortunately for those who want peace and quiet in these carriages, we will still have to put up with muppets who clearly don't know the meaning of the words Quiet Zone and the accompanying signs. If all these offending individuals actually took notice of the Quiet Zone notices and showed courtesy for their fellow passengers, then there would be no need for the blocking filters anyway. And people who wished to use mobile broadband on their laptops can still do so in the quiet zones.

I for one would much rather have quiet zones without the mobile blocking filters installed, but where everyone does actually take notice of these notices/signs. And those who wish to quietly use the internet on their laptops can do so. Rather than because of ignorant muppets ignoring the quiet zones notices and babbling away on their mobiles and playing music through their mobile phone speakers/mp3's, train companies having to resort to paying out for and installing mobile blocking equipment to their trains.

 

[poshbakerloo]

I would like larger toilets like the disabled ones in the 390s just with smaller doors...