A staggering 51% of rail commuters in Great Britain are paying over the odds for their journeys, with a record-breaking number of passengers taking to the railways, according to a recent survey by Transport Focus. The latest figures from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) show that passenger journeys reached an unprecedented 1.83 billion in the year leading up to March – a 6% increase on the previous year and surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time.
The survey, which polled over 100,000 passengers after their journeys, revealed a stark disparity in satisfaction levels between commuters and leisure travellers. While 87% of all passengers were satisfied with their overall experience, only 49% of commuters felt their fare represented good value. In contrast, 67% of leisure travellers considered their tickets to be worth the cost.
CrossCountry, which operates long-distance routes across southern England, the Midlands and Scotland, recorded the lowest satisfaction levels among passengers – with a mere 79% reporting a positive experience. Passengers complained about delays being poorly managed and overcrowding on trains. Transport Focus has called on CrossCountry to improve passenger information during disruptions.
However, not all train operators are struggling. Hull Trains came out top for overall journey satisfaction, with an impressive 94%, closely followed by LNER at 93%. Lumo, another open-access operator, was rated best value for money. Both Hull Trains and Lumo are run independently by FirstGroup – a stark contrast to CrossCountry's struggles. As FirstGroup's chief executive, Graham Sutherland, pointed out, competition in certain routes is driving improved services and better value for customers.
The ORR's record journey figures include a significant contribution from the Elizabeth line, which accounted for around one in seven journeys. But the ORR also noted that passengers are using 'split ticketing' more frequently – a method where longer journeys are broken down into multiple segments to secure cheaper fares. This may be inflating passenger numbers and total revenue, which stood at £12.3 billion – still £1 billion shy of pre-pandemic totals.
Looking ahead, CrossCountry is set to transition into public ownership next year as part of the government's rail nationalisation programme. The initiative will see train operators and Network Rail merged into a new national body, Great British Railways, operating at arm's length from the government.