New data shows which UK rail companies faced the most passenger complaints last year
London: The Office of Rail and Road just dropped some interesting stats about train complaints. It turns out, some rail companies really got an earful from passengers last year.
Overall, complaints dipped a bit from April to September, but a few companies saw their numbers spike. Caledonian Sleeper, Avanti West Coast, Lumo, and London North Eastern Railway topped the complaint charts.
In total, there were 158,721 complaints during that period, which is a 9% drop from the previous six months. But here’s the kicker: there were also 8% more journeys, so maybe things are looking up for travelers.
Still, not everyone had a smooth ride. Caledonian Sleeper had 243 complaints per 100,000 journeys, which is a 4% increase from the year before. Avanti West Coast had 103 complaints, but that was actually a 21% drop year-on-year.
Lumo did a bit better, with 98 complaints per 100,000 journeys, and they managed to cut complaints by 50% compared to the previous year. LNER, on the other hand, saw a 21% increase, with 94 complaints per 100,000 journeys.
Even London Overground had a 45% rise in complaints, but their overall numbers were still pretty low. Heathrow Express also saw a 28% increase, but they were quick to respond to complaints, getting back to customers 100% of the time within 20 working days.
So, what were people complaining about? Punctuality and reliability were the biggest issues, making up 17% of all complaints. A lack of space to sit or stand was another biggie, accounting for 12.1% of complaints. Facilities on board trains also got some flak, with 7.7% of complaints focused there.
But change is on the horizon! The Labour government is planning a major overhaul of the rail system, aiming to bring some operators back into public ownership. Exciting times ahead for UK rail travel!
