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TOPIC: London rail passengers less likely to use trains if services reduced. Are we being used as guinea pigs?
London rail passengers less likely to use trains if services reduced. Are we being used as guinea pigs?
15 May 2022 01:22
#6446
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Basil Clarke  Topic Author |
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New research shows London rail passengers less likely to use trains in future if timetables are reduced
As the Government reveals the next steps in its plans to reform the railways in the Queen’s Speech, new research from London TravelWatch shows that more needs to be done to improve value for money; the way companies deal with delays and tackle crowding if Great British Railways is to live up to its aim of providing a ‘modern and improved service for passengers’. The research also shows that although London Train passengers currently think that the frequency of their train service is adequate, if trains became less frequent, nearly 2/3 say they would use the train less. Millions of people living in and around London rely on the train to get to work, visit friends and family or for leisure trips – in fact 70% of all train journeys actually start, finish or pass through London. Over the past few months, London TravelWatch has been talking to people* who use the train in and around London, to help understand their priorities. The key findings in the research were:
Commenting on the findings, London TravelWatch CEO, Emma Gibson said: ‘This research will give the Government and train companies food for thought as we move closer to the new Great British Railways model. People may have told us that generally rail services were OK but that could easily change if timetables are reduced further, with nearly two thirds telling us this would put them off travelling by train. Added to this, many people we spoke to don’t feel that they are getting value for money when they travel by train and they aren’t prepared to put up with crowding on their services as they might have done pre-pandemic. Emma continued: ‘It was also interesting to see that most people still get information about trains at the station rather than on their websites, social media, apps or messaging services – a useful reminder for train companies considering closing ticket offices or changing opening hours at stations.’ Links |
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London rail passengers less likely to use trains if services reduced. Are we being used as guinea pigs?
16 May 2022 15:25
#6447
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Karl Brown  |
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The converse to reducing rail is of course to increase it, and as Crossrail seemed to show, that drives expected demand with areas along the planned route quickly becoming desirable and nearby businesses also paying incremental dues in some form, not least to help fund it. Crossrail 2, before it was cancelled, positioned the New Southgate area and its proposed linked station as one of London’s few Opportunity Areas in the last London Plan. Conversely, we may well end up with the anticipated housing densification around stations on our line, such as PG, without any wider commercial or even any transport benefit.
In the same joined up thinking mode, but this time actually joined up, New Zealand have just announced increased rail transport frequency plans to assist with a 20% reduction in light vehicle miles as a part of their climate emergency reaction; that and better cycleways and walkways of course. I hope the Great British Railway sorts out the extraordinary complexity of the rail ticketing system; putting its primary focus on getting people from A to B efficiently rather than the profit maximization of same. |
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