Cornwall Rail transport survey

One and all

Have just been passed a summary of the key findings of the above survey.

Makes for interesting reading, and as it was commissioned by Cornwall Council, there is some hope that it will have been fed back into the franchise process.

All sorts of pointers for whoever gets the new franchise...

Survey findings in Italics below.

CORNWALL RAIL SURVEY 2012

Cornwall Rural Community Council (CRCC) undertook a survey between 15 December 2011 and 13 January 2012 on behalf of Cornwall Council to identify people^s views on current rail provision within Cornwall and beyond. The purpose of the survey was to identify people^s views so that Cornwall Council could use this information in negotiating the forthcoming Great Western rail franchise. Questions related to why people did and did not use the trains and what improvements they would like to see, particularly in order to encourage greater use.

Significant Observations from the Survey

It is clear from the many comments made in the survey that those individuals who use the trains see them as an important means of transport; and many highlighted that the opportunities they provide as an alternative, ^greener^ form of transport to the car are valued.

However, there were many comments about where improvements to services could be made to increase their potential. These fell into a number of different headings:

^   Timetabling and Connections

There were requests for train times to provide better commuter opportunities in the mornings and afternoons, both for work and college, together with a desire for more frequent services ^ and clock-face timetabling was mentioned in this context. There were particular requests for more frequent trains at Perranwell, Hayle, Camborne, Lostwithiel and St Germans.

Comments were also made about improving connections between branch and main lines, and with buses, with some timings currently leaving customers with long waits at stations. There were also requests for faster, more direct services to Plymouth and beyond.

Another frequent request was for late night trains to allow people to visit towns in the evening for social and cultural events (e.g. the current last train off Penzance on a weekday does not allow for a good night out; the Saturday service, being even earlier, is even worse).

^   Improvements to Station and Train Facilities

There were requests made for improved station and train facilities. These related to such things as better, cleaner toilets on platforms and trains, refurbishment to stations (Saltash was particularly mentioned in the respect) and newer, more comfortable coaches ^ there were many comments about Cornwall being subjected to old and dirty carriages. The frequent lack of a buffet service throughout Cornwall was highlighted as unacceptable.

There many comments made about the unpleasantness of over-crowding, especially on summer trains and the Falmouth branch line. A number of requests for improved safety at stations late at night were also mentioned and the new barriers at Truro were felt to be an inconvenience with calls for more efficient conductors to prevent fare-dodging.

Improved capacity on trains for bike and luggage were often mentioned as were more bike racks at stations and improved car parking and disabled access facilities.

The sleeper service is clearly valued with some requests for a Saturday sleeper.

^   Re-opened or New Stations

Many mentioned the desire for old stations to be brought back into use. These included Grampound Road, Scorrier, Carn Brea and Probus. Some new stations were also suggested, such as Hugus, Denas Water and Trescobeas Road, Falmouth.

A common theme was lamenting the loss of branch lines under Dr. Beeching^s axe; and North Cornwall, in particular, feels isolated as a result; wishing to see rail services brought back to Launceston and Bude. Helston and Perranporth were also mentioned in this respect.

^   Tickets and Fares

The most frequent comment was a concern about the price of train fares, which were felt by many to be discouraging train use and the complexity of different fare structures was cited as being confusing. However, the Devon and Cornwall Railcard is seen by many as a wonderful initiative and probably encourages a huge amount of customers that would otherwise not use the trains, although there were a number of complaints about it not being available on peak-hour trains.

^   Customer Service

There were mixed views on this, with many praising rail staff for their helpfulness and courtesy. This was not, however, universal and there seems to be a need to address some unevenness in this respect. In particular, fare-dodging and unruly behaviour is not seen as being always tackled, causing some resentment amongst customers.