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Survey shows customer satisfaction for Metrolink has risen

Posted: 14 June 2017 | Intelligent Transport | No comments yet

According to a new survey by Transport Focus, Metrolink customers are increasingly satisfied with their service.

According to a new survey by Transport Focus, Metrolink customers are increasingly satisfied with their service.

metrolink customer survey

The survey, which was carried out between September and December last year, shows another year-on-year increase with 90% of passengers very or fairly satisfied with their overall journey. This is up from 89% in 2015 and 85% in 2014.

Last year more than 37 million passenger journeys were made on the 93-stop Metrolink network, making it the largest light rail system in the UK. These results see Metrolink move closer to the 93% average for overall satisfaction across other, smaller tram networks (in Blackpool, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Sheffield and Midlands).

Furthermore, the fact this has been achieved during a period of major transformational work to build a new line through the city centre – which opened to customers in February 2017, offering more frequent and reliable services – makes this even more of an achievement.

“We are just 3% off the national average for satisfaction”

“It’s gratifying to see an increase in overall satisfaction with Metrolink services, as well as across a number of other key areas, particularly when you consider the surveys were completed in the period before we opened a new line through the city centre,” said Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee. “Due to the sheer scale of Metrolink operations and activity it’s not really sensible to make a like-for-like comparison with smaller light rail networks, but I’m pleased that we are just 3% off the national average for satisfaction.” 

The survey registered customer satisfaction with a whole range of factors from access, information, personal comfort and the safety of the driving, to value for money, the range of tickets available and connections with other modes of transport.

Future plans

From this summer, Metrolink customers will benefit from expansion of the ‘get me there’ smartcard – for the first time, customers will be able to pay for all their tram and bus travel using a single smartcard and have the option to buy Metrolink tickets online.

Looking further ahead, TfGM is continuing to develop plans to launch the next generation of smart ticketing, to give customers even greater convenience and flexibility.