Date: 06 Sep 2007 15:09
Chiltern Railways was last night named 'Passenger operator of the year' at the prestigious National Rail Awards ceremony. The company beat off competition from other train operators to scoop the top award, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to running fast, reliable and comfortable trains for passengers and offering exemplary customer service.
Adrian Shooter, Chairman of Chiltern Railways, said: "We are delighted to receive this award. While I am aware that we do not always get things right, and that there is always room for improvement, awards like this spur us all on to try even harder for our passengers.
"We have made significant investments that have benefited passengers recently. In addition to major engineering improvements - such as new platforms and signalling - we have also introduced new trains and innovative ways to buy tickets. We also continue to invest heavily in staff training, which is reflected in the positive feedback we get from our customers."
Chiltern Railways was short-listed for a total of five awards and, in addition to winning 'Passenger operator of the year', was also presented with a further award for its major engineering project - Evergreen 2 - which has enabled the company to run more trains, reduce delays and increase the reliability of its services.
One of the major benefits of Evergreen 2 has been a doubling of platform capacity at London Marylebone station - a real bonus for commuters and leisure travellers alike along the whole route. The company also maintains excellent working relationships with other train operating companies, Network Rail and London Underground. This enables a joined-up approach to transport - service, communication, maintenance and safety - along the route.
Over the last ten years the company has invested over £100 million to increase capacity on its route, ultimately enabling more frequent and reliable trains. Chiltern Railways has always enjoyed a reputation for being an on-time railway and the latest official Public Performance Measure (PPM) confirmed that nearly 94% of its services run on time. Earlier this year, Chiltern Railways also achieved a 90% customer satisfaction rating in the National Passenger Survey - the highest of any commuter train company.
Passengers using Chiltern Railways now have a number of options for purchasing tickets - from automatic ticket machines and special web-based offers, to text messaging. Last year, Chiltern Railways introduced 'Tickets by Text', allowing passengers the opportunity to travel using a barcode received by SMS text message from as little as £5 between Birmingham and London. Customer feedback suggests that the convenient range of ways available to buy great-value tickets is a huge success.
Adrian Shooter concluded: "Chiltern Railways has proved that rail services can be fast, reliable and comfortable. Passengers deserve the best rail service possible and we will continue to listen to their feedback so that we can invest in future services."
Ends
For further information on Chiltern Railways' success at the National Rail Awards or to make an interview bid please contact Zoe Dubber on T: 020 7025 7566
For other media information please contact the Chiltern Railways press office on T: 020 7333 3125 or email: press@chilternrailways.co.uk
Notes to Editors
1. Chiltern Railways is owned by M40 Trains. All shares in M40 Trains are owned by Laing Investments Ltd through Laing Rail Ltd.
2. For further information on Chiltern Railways, including details of the Evergreen 2 project visit:
http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/content.php?nID=6
3. Corporate Social Responsibility: Chiltern Railways 'Footprint Neutral' ensures all its major buildings are powered by green renewable electricity, supplied through the National Grid. This world beating project, if taken up by the UK railway industry, would transform Britain's railway into the most environmentally friendly mode of transport in the world
4. For further information on the National Rail Awards, please visit: http://www.natrailawards.co.uk/
