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Rail company voted bottom of the table
Rail company First Capital Connect has come bottom of the table in a survey by consumer magazine Which?.
According to the survey, just 40 per cent of passengers are satisfied with the service – compared to Virgin Trains at the top of the league with an overall score of 67 per cent.
The survey was carried out at the end of last year and saw 7,500 adults quizzed about their train journeys.
The company is owned by First Group, whose other contract, First Great Western, was also near the bottom of the table with a satisfaction rating of just 43 per cent.
But First Capital Connect hit back at the results.
A spokesman said: “This research quizzed just 461 people online out of the 170,000 we carry every day. A face-to-face survey by rail watchdog Passenger Focus, which is audited by the Office of National Statistics, shows that 81 per cent of our passengers are satisfied or very satisfied with our service.”
He added: “Our investment in the service is paying off with improved satisfaction with punctuality and journey times, the attitudes and helpfulness of our staff, the security of our services and the overall station environment.
“We have added over 27,000 more seats to our network at the busiest times of the day through additional services and longer trains and at least £2.5m are being spent improving station facilities.”
But commuters commenting on the Biggleswade Chronicle Facebook page seemed unimpressed with the service they were receiving.
Jo Redman commented: “I think possibly the Which? survey is most accurate. Prices are stupidly high for the service we get.”
Lauren Chambers added: “I travel daily to London and am appalled that I pay so much for old trains and constant delayed services. I don’t think I have had one train on time this year! They need more services running, better customer service and cheaper tickets!”
First Capital Connect trains were hit by further problems this week, when a 1km section of overhead electrical wire between Sandy and St Neots collapsed on Tuesday evening (February 19), resulting in long delays, limited service between Biggleswade and King’s Cross and no service between Peterborough and Sandy.
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Weather for Biggleswade
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
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