The needs of passengers must be at the heart of Britain’s railway in the future, as evidenced by a new Transport Focus report.
‘Transforming rail travel: What do passengers want?’ considers plans for rail reform as outlined by The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail and the formation of Great British Railways (GBR) and welcomes commitments to a passenger-centric approach. It offers an overview of research into what passengers want now and in the future, and what might encourage non or lapsed users to give rail a go. The aim is to help inform the customer proposition for the new railway, including what themes and areas GBR should focus on, and what and how it should deliver for passengers.
The report explores areas including; overall rail experience, planning journeys, getting a ticket, getting to the station, the on-station experience, the on-train experience, arrival and interchange, and post-travel.
Community rail is explicitly mentioned in the report (pp12) with regards to its importance in helping to engage people with their local railways and stations. It states that the movement can not only act as a catalyst for passenger growth, but also help different groups to access rail travel and link people who may otherwise be marginalised or disadvantaged to greater opportunities for employment, education, and recreation.
You can read the full report here.