Merseyrail tops Which? travel survey

Merseyrail is delighted to announce that it's top of today's Which? annual survey for train satisfaction, achieving 70 per cent. This is the highest score secured by a rail operator over the three years that this poll has been running. Nineteen rail companies were assessed.

The Merseyside rail operator achieved 'recommended provider' status - the first time Which? has awarded this accolade to a rail company. We were commended for frequency, punctuality, reliability and speed.

Our score has steadily risen since Which?'s first survey of this type two years ago, with an increase of 6 percentage points since 2013's poll and ten since 2012's.

This accolade follows hot on the heels of Merseyrail's success last month in the National Rail Passenger Survey (autumn 2013), where we were also top of the league table, securing 93 per cent for overall passenger satisfaction. Similarly, we continue to enjoy high rates of operational performance, boasting an average annual figure of around 95 per cent.

Over 7,400 regular train passengers were polled across all of the major train operating companies, and scores were based on overall satisfaction with a company and whether passengers would be likely to recommend it.

Maarten Spaargaren, managing director at Merseyrail, commented: "This is another great set of results, which we are all very proud of. There are still lessons for us in the detail, however, and over the coming days and weeks, we will be examining these particulars.

"Closer analysis of our scores will enable us to learn from them and means that we can continue providing a service that is not only convenient and enjoyable, but exceeds customer expectations."