Our rail passenger work

National Express East Anglia Takes a Backward Step with Passenger Information During Disruption

21.06.2010

• Location:  East of England
• Train company:  National Express East Anglia
• Passenger manager:  Guy Dangerfield

Passenger Focus has strongly opposed the decision by National Express East Anglia to withdraw its free-of-charge text alert service for passengers whose train is cancelled or delayed. Texts will now cost 25p each, although a free email will be available.

Passenger Focus manager Guy Dangerfield said: “This decision, which we understand has been made mainly for financial reasons, flies in the face of passenger research – ironically, research undertaken at the behest of the industry’s steering group trying to improve passenger satisfaction with information at times of disruption”.

In a letter to National Express East Anglia Guy Dangerfield wrote: 'Passenger Focus research – including specifically among National Express East Anglia passengers – shows that a text alert is the preferred way to inform passengers about delays before they reach the station (40%). It is not email (8%). A free email and a chargeable text service is not an acceptable replacement for the service currently offered to passengers. Research by Nielsen records that in the third quarter of 2009 only one in seven mobile phones in the UK is a smartphone capable of receiving email, with just 12% of UK mobile owners using mobile email. In contrast, 78% of UK mobile owners use SMS. Paying for a text would be the only option for most people and research shows that many passengers object to paying a train company to be advised that their train is late or cancelled.'

In its submission to Government about what passengers want from the new Greater Anglia franchise expected to start on 1 April 2011, Passenger Focus has called for free text alerts at times of disruption to be offered to passengers.