Welcome to our latest Customer Report, designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the behind-the-scenes operations at TransPennine Express (TPE).
Since assuming the role of Interim Managing Director on May 28 and later being officially appointed as Managing Director on September 15, I have been diligently collaborating with our exceptional team at TPE to enhance the quality of service we provide to our valued customers.
Since TPE transferred to the Government’s public sector owning group, DfT OLR Holdings Ltd, (‘DOHL’), on 28 May 2023 we have been actively working on various projects and initiatives to enhance the customer experience.
In our commitment to better serve our customers, we embarked on a comprehensive review of our entire business operations. This allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that have historically hindered us from delivering an outstanding service and with this newfound insight, we have started to take the necessary steps to address these issues head-on.
One notable accomplishment has been the improvement in our train performance, resulting in a 40% reduction in cancellations.
We’ve worked to rebuild relationships with trade union representatives and have resolved many of the local disputes that were so disruptive for so long and we’ve delivered improvements and upgrades to some of our key stations across the network.
We are continuing to enhance accessibility across our network to ensure customers feel confident when travelling. In August, we implemented ground-breaking new steps to make the network inclusive and accessible for our customers by installing tactile maps at Hull Paragon, Dewsbury and Manchester International Airport.
August also saw the launch of the Safer Hull Paragon Hub. Following a £100k investment from TPE, the new multi-agency safeguarding hub has been opened to make Hull Paragon Station even safer. Created in collaboration with Hull City Council, British Transport Police (BTP), Humberside Police, local community agencies and support-providing charities the hub provides a consistent point of contact for those in need.
In October 2023 we launched our blueprint on making journeys better. The prospectus offers a comprehensive account of the challenges that TPE has encountered over the past two years, while also outlining how TPE, under DOHL, will bring positive change moving forward.
To deliver this, TPE’s plan for the future focuses on three phases:
- Stabilising the operation to deliver better reliability and punctuality
- Re-engaging with its customers, colleagues and stakeholders
- Transforming its network through innovation and investment in better facilities
Throughout each of these phases, we will be making significant changes to improve the business. We will work to ensure our trains run on time and deliver the best possible journey experience for customers at both stations and on our trains.
In conjunction with our long-term strategy, we are introducing a series of short-term initiatives designed to provide customers with an enhanced and more reliable service.
These include making enhancements on board our trains by re-covering all train seats and making improvements to toilet facilities and we are also giving our older trains a revamp by giving them a deep clean and replacing carpets.
We’re also implementing a ticket sale as a token of appreciation for our loyal customers and to attract potential new customers to choose rail and an amended timetable and fleet effective from December 2023, to simplify operations and boost reliability.
We have seen some promising improvements already on our network, yet we acknowledge that there is still more work to be done to provide our customers with the stable and reliable service they deserve. Full details on our plan can be found on our Making Journeys Better page.
I hope you enjoy reading this customer report, and that it will provide a deeper understanding of the ongoing efforts and initiatives undertaken by TPE.