Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the core reasons for the latest National Rail Passenger Survey by Transport Focus, published in January, showing the lowest levels of passenger satisfaction in 10 years.

The latest National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) results (Autumn 2018) found that 8 in 10 journeys were rated as satisfactory overall at the national level, with fewer than one in 10 rated as unsatisfactory. Satisfaction as measured by the NRPS has generally remained stable over the last 10 years.

The fieldwork for the Autumn 2018 NRPS was the first since the introduction of the new timetable in May 2018 and the subsequent period of network disruption, which is likely to have had an impact on the results for some Train Operating Companies (TOCs).

In addition, a number of TOCs were affected by industrial action throughout 2018, including South Western Railway and Northern. Parts of the country (particularly Scotland) were affected by Storm Ali during September and October which closed a large number of stations in Scotland.