News reports located on this page = 3.

Merseyrail tops National Rail Passenger Survey as best franchised rail operator in the country

MERSEYRAIL has been named the best franchised rail operator in the country, following results from the National Rail Passenger Survey for autumn 2019. The rail operator achieved 91% overall satisfaction among its passengers in the bi-annual survey which is conducted by independent consumer watchdog Transport Focus and is a respected industry barometer. Merseyrail's satisfaction rate is 9% higher than the national average, and is especially significant given that surveys were carried out during a time when platform upgrade works activity was being carried out across the network preparing Stations for the new fleet of trains that will begin to operate later this year. Station staff were also praised, with Merseyrail passengers the most satisfied in the country when it comes to attitude and helpfulness of station staff. Merseyrail also topped the charts for frequency of trains and value for money, cementing the operator as 1 of the best in the country. The National Rail Passenger Survey is the largest published rail passenger satisfaction survey in the world. Merseyrail is consistently 1 of the best performing rail operators in the country; being named the most punctual in the country for the last 2 years, and achieving its best performing year ever in 2019, with 96.36% of trains running on schedule. Speaking about the survey, Merseyrail Managing Director Andy Heath said:- "Our customers are at the heart of everything that we do, and this is reflected in the impressive results we have achieved in this survey. Topping the survey for Station Staff attitude and helpfulness, value for money and frequency of service is especially pleasing as we know this is what our customers want from their local rail network. As we move forward and begin to introduce the new, state of the art trains we aim to continue to improve and provide the high quality service we have become known for."

Metro Mayor release joint statement about Northern Rail

IN a joint statement on Northern Rail being brought into public ownership, both Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, and Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, have said that:- "This news is a victory for passengers who have had to endure almost 2 years of misery and mayhem on Northern Rail. We are pleased the UK Government has finally answered our call and returned the Northern franchise to public ownership. But today's welcome move by ministers is only the start of fixing the North's railways. The Government must now commit to investing in much needed rail infrastructure and work with leaders across the North to deliver the vision and funding needed to build the modern transport network that the people of our region deserve."