Member Article

Commuters kicking up a stink

Rail commuters are kicking up a stink about their fellow travellers. The personal hygiene of other rail users is the biggest annoyance faced by train travellers, a poll by IT networking company Telindus found. As many as 32% of rail passengers would like to see their fellow rail users invest in soap and water.

The second biggest complaint is muffled driver announcements, followed by inconsiderate passengers who yell on mobile phones and others who play music too loudly. A total of 87% of commuters say they are unhappy with the service they receive and 30% of them pay more than £300 a month on rail travel.

The poll also shows most mainline rail and Tube passengers are resigned to not getting a seat, with only 11% putting seat availability at the top of their travel wishlist. The main thing commuters want to see is better travel information.

Mark Hutchinson, Telindus UK managing director, said: “Train companies are clearly not keeping their customers happy, but a few simple changes would make the world of difference. “assengers may be reconciled to the fact that finding a seat or having punctual trains is a pipe dream.

“But train companies have got the opportunity to use innovative technologies to improve the customer experience. Just keeping customers updated on how their trains are running would go a long way to placating an infuriated commuting community.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .