22.04.16
London TravelWatch call for better passenger compensation as new delay figures leaked
London TravelWatch has called for an extension of automatic passenger compensation after leaked documents show the highest level of delays on British railways in eight years.
According to documents seen by The Times, Office of Rail and Road (ORR) figures show that 10.9% of trains were delayed by five minutes or more in the past 12 months, the highest amount in eight years.
London TravelWatch responded by saying compensation for delayed commuters needs to be improved, echoing an ORR report published in response to a super complaint by consumer group Which? last month.
Stephen Locke, chair of London TravelWatch, said: “These figures won’t come as a surprise to long suffering commuters and reinforce what London TravelWatch has been saying over the last 18 months. Many commuters continue to suffer delays of 15 to 20 minutes but receive no compensation and see no signs of improvement.
“Train operators must keep passengers better informed when delays are going on and the compensation regime must be adjusted to apply automatic compensation after 15 minute delays.”
Virgin’s new automatic compensation scheme won the award for Service Innovation at the 2016 UK Rail Industry Awards.
Legislation forcing train companies to spend the compensation money for delays they receive from Network Rail on improving passenger experience is currently being debated in the House of Commons.
The Department for Transport said the figures were due to a planned programme of rail improvements. A spokesperson said: “While this work is ongoing, some disruption is necessary but we expect Network Rail to keep this to a minimum and ensure passengers can get where they need to go.”
(Image c. Johnny Green from PA Images)