Train passengers are feeling the strain

Commuters in Rochdale are more unhappy with their trains than anywhere else in the country, new figures reveal.

The National Passenger Survey puts local operator Northern Rail firmly at the bottom of satisfaction tables for regional operators.

The fall in Northern’s ratings in the spring 2009 survey by the Passenger Focus watchdog followed the disastrous introduction of the new winter timetable which led to hundreds of cancellations and overcrowding.

As a result, operator Northern got almost five times as many letters of complaint and Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive got twice as many.

The company has achieved record reliability since recovering from the changes, which were brought in to accommodate Virgin’s three trains an hour to London.

But the satisfaction figures for punctuality and reliability up to the end of March show Northern at just 80%, well below Britain’s other regional operators — headed by neighbours Merseyrail with a satisfaction rating of more than 90%.

Northern also came bottom when passengers were asked if they had enough room — with a score of below 70%.

However, Northern said that, although beaten by other operators, its own figures had, in fact, got better.

Managing director Heidi Mottram said: “In 2009 we’ve been delivering our most punctual service for customers ever, with over nine out of 10 trains arriving on time.

“It is also encouraging to see improvements in individual areas of the national passenger survey such as personal security while on board (up 3%) and how well the company deals with delays (up 4%)."

A delegation from Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) will see Transport Minister Chris Mole next week to find out why the area will get little more than half the number of new carriages promised by the government to ease overcrowding.

GMITA chairman Councillor Keith Whitmore, in a letter to the minister, said: “We were promised 180 carriages and we are getting 106.

“To make matters worse, we have been told that we can only keep the five Pacer trains which will be taken off the Oldham loop line in October when it closes for conversion to Metrolink if we pay for them.

“If this was a film called Carry on Railways, it would be quite amusing. But it isn’t. It is unbelievable.”