Adoption of a standard for rail replacement services would lead to benefits for coach operators delivering them, a key contributor to a white paper calling for reform says.
That report, from Great British Rail Replacement (GBRR), says its survey of over 1,500 rail passengers shows 92% think rail disruption support has worsened or not improved.
GBRR, the CMAC-owned brand that delivers road transport in rail disruption, recommends several actions for rail companies, including putting customer service before price.
It seeks a national rail replacement quality mark “with defined operational, accessibility, and service criteria”.
The 10-point plan also recommends that the rail industry should serve rural areas better with replacement services and use consistent branding to assist passengers facing disruption.
GBRR Chair Alex Warner, who helped conduct the survey and author the paper, stresses that it does not reflect badly on coach operators and highlights that raising standards could prevent a “race to the bottom” approach to contracts.
Mr Warner adds: “The positives for coach operators are that it’s going to be worth their while doing rail replacement, but everyone will have to up their game and offer a really good service.”
Could a rail replacement standard mean more work for coach operators?
Improved standards for rail replacement services could also mean more work for coach operators, he believes. “The report showed a lot of people see the words ‘rail replacement’ and then say, ‘I’m not even going to make the journey or I’ll go by car’.
“But if the service gets better, more people will want to travel. Instead of 10 coaches, you’ll need to supply 20 or 30, etc…”
Mr Warner dismisses a notion that increasing rail replacement standards could favour larger coach operators.
He says: “You tend to find the better customer service comes from small- to medium-sized local operators because, first, they are based in the communities they serve and can give better onward travel information, and the contract is a very large part of their revenue base, so they tend to be more focused.
“Also, for a smaller business, it’s easier to keep a handle on quality. In addition, SMEs can make things happen more quickly, because they don’t have to go through the bureaucracy which can be involved in a bigger organisation.”
