Northern Rail is giving the busy train platforms at Harrogate back to its passengers with the launch of a customer forum there which asks rail users to share their thoughts and opinions face-to-face with directors.
Being the biggest train operator in Britain, providing 2,500 local and regional train services every day across the north of England, serving a population of nearly 15m. They carrying 89.6 million passengers a year, 40.5% more than when they started the franchise in December 2004.
On Tuesday 30 October between 3.00pm and 7.00pm, Rob Warnes and Stuart Draper will be available to listen to passenger’s views, comments and feedback on how Northern can do better for the people who use their services in North Yorkshire.
Rob Warnes, Planning and Performance Director for Northern Rail said:
We’re committed to improving passenger experiences across our network. Customer feedback plays a vital role in doing this and these sessions will offer customers a forum to raise issues in and give direct feedback.
I’m keen to hear which areas our customers enjoy and where we are working well for them and how they would like to see others changed for the better and improved.
Stuart Draper, Northern Rail’s Engineering Director added:
It’ll be a great opportunity to meet passengers who are passionate about being proactive for the surrounding communities.
I’m looking forward to talking to passengers, discussing their views and sharing thoughts and ideas on what we can do better here.
We’re hoping a variety of passengers will be able to attend, with our lines of route from Harrogate serving communities throughout Yorkshire.
Harrogate trains donja love ’em. East European rolling stock, a 1960s station, no wonder HIC can’t attract any punters. I hope the Northern rail directors are listening: last time I ventured on to the train to Leeds to attend a business meeting (ironically on travel) it was Test Match day in Headingley this summer. The guard insisted on jamming a dangerous amount of people on to the train despite customers shouting, ‘No more, no more’. The official didn’t have the common sense to stop more and more people getting on. Sardines would have been more comfortable. The logic of putting more carriages on for this predictably busiest day of the year had escaped whoever plans such matters and characterises the attitude taken to the train travelling public between York – Leeds. Maximise the margin, stuff the public.