The UK’s worst train operator

Trains, planes and automobiles. A film, yes, but also an ever-more accurate rundown of the three most frustrating ways to travel across and out of our fair and pleasant land.

And if a new report is to be believed, certain UK rail companies are going out of their way to keep their form of transport firmly at the top of this chart.

The UK’s worst operator

A survey of 30,000 people carried out by watchdog Passenger Focus showed National Express East Anglia (NXEA) to be the worst operator with just 46% of respondents saying they were satisfied with the service.

NXEA said they were disappointed with the result but explained that the service had been affected by a number of “disruptive infrastructures failures” on certain days over the last year.

First Capital Connect came behind NXEA with an 80% rating, followed by Cross-Country (82%) and Southeastern (83%).

Grand Central – the operator of services between London Kings Cross and North England – emerged top in the poll with a 95% satisfaction rating.

The Heathrow Express came second with a 93% rating, followed by Merseyrail (93%) and London Overground (92%).

Value for money

The report also highlighted the ever-growing cost of rail tickets as another key target for passenger anger. Just under half (46%) of respondents said they thought their ticket represented value for money – down by 3% on 2010.

What’s more, this survey was conducted before an average price rise of 5.9% across all tickets was applied in January. Some busy commuter routes have seen fares jump by a huge 11%.

For individual routes, satisfaction levels with value for money varied significantly from 27% to 80%.

Punctuality

Satisfaction with train punctuality dropped slightly between 2010 and 2011, down from 82% to 81%.

The watchdog identified Chiltern and South West trains as operators with punctuality problems. Merseyrail and London Overground were commended for significant improvements in time keeping – increasing their punctuality satisfaction levels to 95% and 83% respectively.

Overall levels of satisfaction with having enough room to sit or stand increased overall, but still varied between 53% and 95%.

The busiest routes

Waning levels of customer satisfaction come in the face of increasingly pricey tickets and overcrowded services. As I mentioned earlier, the brunt of ticket price rises has been felt by commuters in the South East. And according to figures put out by the Department for Transport, it’s these very commuter routes that are also the nation’s busiest.

London Paddington emerges from the stats as the busiest overall hub, with the 06.37 service bringing workers into the city from Reading labelled the most overcrowded commuter service. The figures show that the train is on average carrying more than double its overall capacity of 304 (a figure made up of some standing and some seated passengers).

The return leg of the same journey is only marginally better – emerging second in the Government poll. The 18.45 from Paddington to Reading logs a passenger load of 588, despite a capacity of just 304.

The 18.15 from Paddington to Oxford comes in third, followed by the 06.30 from Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington and then the 7.40 from Reading to Paddington.

Indeed, every journey in the top ten involves London Paddington as either the departure or arrival station.

The Government claims that services have improved since this poll was put together over a year ago. But still, if you’re planning an early morning or evening journey involving Paddington or Reading stations, don’t expect a comfortable ride.

How to save on train travel

So with prices rising, how can you get hold of cheap train tickets? Here are a few tips…

Book in advance

Rule number one of slashing the cost of train tickets is to book in advance. Take this example: last weekend I travelled up to Liverpool from London. By booking tickets back in early December I managed to snap up a return fare for £15 (with a railcard). The cost of the same journey for those booking at the station is £49 return.

Tickets are available to book 12 weeks in advance. Sign up to the Trainline and East Coast email alerts to find out exactly when cheap fares for your desired journey are released.

Off peak

Travelling in peak hours – essentially the morning and evening weekday rush hours – is one sure way to boost the price of your ticket. Take the London to Liverpool example again with an off-peak return fare of £49 and a two months in advance fare of £15 (both with a railcard). An anytime ticket valid for peak travel on this route will set you back a huge £182.80. And if you don’t have a railcard, this will shoot up to £277.

Railcards

If you’re eligible for a Family & Friends Railcard, 16-25 Railcard, Senior Railcard or Disabled Persons Railcard, then get one! Even if you have to shell out £30 or so for the card, the savings you’ll make over the year will likely offset the initial outlay.

If you regularly travel around London and the South East, a Network Railcard could also save you a shed load.

Bargain websites

Try using sites like Megatrain and Virgin Train’s best fare finder to pick up cheap off-peak fares while Best Value Fares rounds up the discounts on offer from train operators.

Split your ticket

Ticket splitting is a perfectly legal way to cut the price of your fare. In action, splitting involves buying two or three train tickets for one route, instead of getting a single fare, as occasionally the price of the separate parts will outweigh the whole journey fare price.

Unofficial consumer site Splityourticket.co.uk will help you track down the cheapest split fare.

Make sure you keep an eye on the prices of two singles as well, as they may work out cheaper than a return. Bizarrely, kinks in the booking system may also throw up cheap first-class fares. A year or so ago I picked up a first-class ticket from Liverpool to London for £5 less than a regular fare!

Alternatives

We all know trains are a pricey way to travel. So if you have the stomach and the time for a bus journey, take a look at National Express and Megabus fares – you may save a shed load!

Your experiences

What’s your take on the UK train network?

Let us know using the comment box below.

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