Survey of stations
Between April and July 2004, we visited a sample of 120 railway
stations to see at first hand the facilities provided to passengers
and the upkeep of stations. We visited 30 stations from size
categories A and B (national and regional hub stations), 30 from
size category C (important feeder stations), 30 from size
categories D and E (medium and small staffed stations) and 30 from
size category F (small unstaffed stations). Our selection of
stations was random, using interval sampling. Visits were carried
out without prior arrangement and were conducted by staff from the
NAO and volunteers from RPC regional committees, using a
54-question checklist developed in consultation with the SRA, the
Rail Passengers Council, Network Rail and the Association of Train
Operating Companies.
An example of the station survey checklist and a summary of the
results of these inspections, which were analysed for us by MORI,
are available below.
Surveys of TOCs, PTEs and local authorities
Between June and December 2004, we carried out a survey of TOCs
in Britain. The survey collected information on TOCs’ expenditure
and income from stations, their past, current and projected
investment in station enhancements and their views and experiences
of station management and improvements.
Between August and October 2004 we also carried out surveys of
the seven Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs), Transport for
London and 74 local transport authorities in Britain to collect
information on their investment/spending on stations and their
monitoring of station quality, and to ascertain their views on the
contributions of the SRA, Network Rail and TOCs to station
improvements. We received responses from all PTEs, Transport for
London and 31 local transport authorities. The figures in Figure 4
of the report for expenditure on maintenance, cleaning and
operations and improvements at franchised stations are
extrapolations from the survey responses, based on the proportion
of all stations covered by the responses.
Summaries of the results of the TOC, PTE and local transport
authority surveys are available below.