For customers

KPI: Customer satisfaction

We measure customer satisfaction with Wavelength, the rail industry’s customer service monitoring and measuring tool. It measures how satisfied our customers are with their overall journey.

Overview

We’ve maintained relatively high customer satisfaction this quarter, despite our major transformational works impacting our customers and the June timetable change. We listened to our customers feedback and acted on it. By introducing more of our new fleet, a new timetable and increasing our traincrew numbers, we are improving our customer’s experience and taking advantage of the improved infrastructure.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

1. A Prosperous Wales

5. A Wales of Cohesive Communities

Forward look

With the continued introduction of our new trains and the opening of Cardiff Bus Interchange, we will work with our bus partners to introduce an integrated service. We aim to improve and develop a more robust customer survey, increasing the sample size to use the feedback to improve our services.

KPI: Complaints per 100k Rail Journeys

Any expression of dissatisfaction by a customer or potential customer about TfW Rail as a proportion of 100,000 rail passenger journeys.

Overview

There has been a decrease in the average number of customer complaints per 100k rail journeys in Q1. This is due to a reduction in complaints on the reliability linked to our improved performance. We’ve prioritised maintaining an excellent customer experience during the transformation works and the new timetable change, improving how we respond to customer complaints. The time taken to respond to complaints has reduced in the last quarter.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

1. A Prosperous Wales

5. A Wales of Cohesive Communities

Forward look

We continue to provide real time information to support customers’ journey planning. We focus on being agile to respond to customer contact at peak times and during disruption.

KPI: Rail Passenger Journeys

The total number of rail passengers who bought tickets across the Wales & Borders network. This includes Core Valley Lines and Wales and Cross Borders.

Overview

Rail passenger journeys grew significantly year-on-year. Journeys made on our Metro (short-distance) services saw the largest growth in percentage terms during Q1.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

1. A Prosperous Wales

2. A Resilient Wales

5. A Wales of Cohesive Communities

Forward look

We will continue to seek ways to enhance the customer experience to generate further growth in passenger journeys. Work is ongoing to provide customers with easier ways to find and purchase tickets and giving them the best value option. This will see the further rollout of Pay-As-You-Go ticketing in South East Wales during the next year.

KPI: Core Valley Lines On Time (to 3 minutes)

The percentage of rail services arriving within 3 minutes of the scheduled arrival time across the Core Valley Lines. This is referred to internally as Passenger Time Lost. A weighting is applied to railway stations with the highest volume of customers so delays at higher footfall locations have a greater impact on the measure. For example, delays at Cardiff Queen Street have a greater impact on the percentage compared to Treherbert.

Overview

Our punctuality on the Core Valley Lines was very strong during the first two months of the quarter. It did, however, dip after the introduction of the new timetable in June which enhances service frequency, and the associated teething problems. This also coincided with some major infrastructure issues which impacted service significantly during the first week of the new timetable.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

1. A Prosperous Wales

5. A Wales of Cohesive Communities

Forward look

We’re increasing our maintenance capability and delivering the planned stabling provision to improve the availability and reliability of our fleet, in turn reducing time lost for our passengers. We expect that the Class 756 trains, which are planned to be introduced at the end of October 2024, will be more reliable and faster than our current fleet also improving our service performance. During 2025 the Class 398 tram trains will be introduced which will mean that we can also reduce journey times from the December 2025 timetable change.

KPI: Wales and Cross Borders On Time (to 3 minutes)

The percentage of rail services arriving within 3 minutes of the scheduled arrival time across Wales & Cross Borders, this is internally referred to as Passenger Time Lost. A weighting is applied to railway stations with the highest volume of customers so delays at higher footfall locations have a greater impact on the measure. For example. delays at Cardiff Central have a higher impact to the percentage compared to Pontypool and New Inn.

Overview

Train service delivery improved throughout the quarter on the Wales and Cross Border network.  Steady progress has been made in replacing legacy rolling stock with brand-new air-conditioned trains The new trains, together with the Mark IV being expanded from four coaches to five, have delivered a significant increase in capacity on our longer-distance routes. Service frequency has been increased on the Ebbw Vale line and on the Cheltenham route, and the higher frequency timetable on the Wrexham - Bidston line, with trains at 45-minute intervals, has bedded down and is performing well.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

1. A Prosperous Wales

5. A Wales of Cohesive Communities

Forward look

Further deliveries of the brand-new Class 197 trains are expected over the coming months. The timetable change planned for December 2024 will benefit from the better acceleration and braking capability of the new trains by reducing some journey times while continuing the higher levels of train performance achieved recently.

KPI: On-the-Day Cancellations

The percentage of rail services cancelled on the day across the network as a proportion of the total number of services specified in the daily train plan.

Overview

On-the-Day Cancellation figures remained very strong for the first two months of the quarter, however, did dip after the introduction of the new timetable, which introduced higher frequency services on the Core Valley Lines. The timetable change was necessary to start to bring our electric trains into service. Some of the cancellations and alterations were due to rolling stock shortages. This situation will improve as the new trains are introduced..

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

1. A Prosperous Wales

5. A Wales of Cohesive Communities

Forward look

Extreme weather events spike over the autumn and winter months and are a significant factor in on-the-day cancellations. We’ve produced a climate change adaptation and resilience plan, and we will incorporate the requirements into the specifications of our renewals work on the infrastructure on the Core Valley Lines. We will also look to focus on using data to proactively inform maintenance and renewals requirements, leading to increased infrastructure reliability. Cancellations caused by rolling stock shortages will reduce as more of the new trains are introduced in the coming months. Many of the new trains have more carriages than the trains they replace, meaning more capacity across the network.

KPI: Pre-Cancellations

The percentage of rail services cancelled prior to 10pm the day before operation as a proportion of the total number of services specified in the daily train plan.

Overview

Pre-cancellations are used to give advance notice to passengers that trains will need be cancelled or altered due to traincrew shortages, serious infrastructure problems or bad weather.  There were very few pre-cancellations in the quarter. This reflects careful resource planning. For train drivers, the next phase of the pay and productivity three-year agreement has been delivered, with Sundays now included in the working week. This will reduce risk of driver shortages on Sundays.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

1. A Prosperous Wales

5. A Wales of Cohesive Communities

Forward look

Our resource planning will make sure there is a healthy pipeline of trainee drivers and conductors to provide future timetable enhancements, enable existing drivers and conductors to attend training programmes for new trains and for conductors, Sundays inside the working week in 2025.

KPI: TrawsCymru Complaints per 100k Journeys

Any expression of dissatisfaction by a customer or potential customer about TrawsCymru T1, T1C, T2, T3, T6, T10 journeys as a proportion of 100,000 TrawsCymru passenger journeys.

Overview

We have seen a decrease in the average number of complaints per 100k TrawsCymru bus journeys when comparing this quarter to the same quarter last year. We have seen service performance and quality improve as new buses enter service on the T2 and T3 routes.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

1. A Prosperous Wales

5. A Wales of Cohesive Communities

Forward look

The introduction of new contract monitoring, and performance systems will help support the delivery of high standards of service delivery for customers.

KPI: TrawsCymru Passenger Journeys

The total number of passengers carried on the TrawsCymru T1, T1C, T2, T3, T6, T10 routes.

Overview

Bus passenger journeys on our TrawsCymru continue to see patronage growth with a 12.3% increase on the same quarter last year. There has been an increase in leisure related journeys as we have improved frequencies on weekends on T2, T3 and T10.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

1. A Prosperous Wales

2. A Resilient Wales

5. A Wales of Cohesive Communities

Forward look

We will look to retain passengers by using our contract management framework to ensure consistently high standards of service on the TrawsCymru bus routes that we manage. We’ll look to grow passenger numbers with a focus on leisure travel on our scenic routes. We’ll ensure ticket pricing is consistent and value for money. We’ll continue to look at options for customers to use one ticket to travel to their destination, be that by train or bus.

KPI: TrawsCymru Cancellations

The percentage of scheduled TrawsCymru T1, T1C, T2, T3, T6, T10 journeys that were cancelled on-the day. Data is not available prior to Quarter 2 2023/24.

Overview

Journey cancellations remain low across the TfW TrawsCymru routes at less than 1%. The primary causes of cancellations are short notice road closures and ad-hoc driver availability.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

1. A Prosperous Wales

5. A Wales of Cohesive Communities

Forward look

We will continue to work with our contracted TrawsCymru route operators to ensure cancellations are kept to a minimum. We will monitor our contracts to help provide the best results.

KPI: Welsh Language External Complaints per 100k Journeys

New complaints per 100,000 passenger journeys (TrawsCymru and rail) to the Welsh Language Commissioner when the complainant has not received a service in Welsh from TfW or if they were dissatisfied with how TfW’s decision on a Welsh language issue.

Overview

While there was a slight increase of new complaints per 100,000 journeys during the first quarter compared to the same period last year, the number of new complaints per 100,000 passenger journeys has reduced compared to the full year of 2023/24. Complaints centred around known issues which we are working to address through ongoing work to our train fleet and stations. In cases where action could be taken to remedy the situation immediately, they were and resulted in no further action being required by the Welsh Language Commissioner.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA) goals addressed:

6. A Wales of Vibrant Culture and Thriving Welsh Language

Forward look

We’re working to ensure that our train fleet and railway stations adhere to Welsh language standards and requirements. To ensure transparency in this area, we will publish a Welsh Language compliancy report and our Welsh Language strategy.