Passengers continue to be highly satisfied with the service provided by East Midlands Trains, according to the latest independent survey released today by transport watchdog Passenger Focus. 

The survey, carried out during the spring, shows that 88% of passengers are satisfied with their service.  This result marks a 1% year on year increase and is higher than the 87% average for long distance train operators.

The latest satisfaction figures have been released as East Midlands Trains continues to be the UK’s most punctual long distance train operator.

David Horne, Managing Director for East Midlands Trains, said: “It’s great news that our passengers continue to rate our services so highly.  We have made significant investment to improve every area of our business, and the survey reflects that and the hard work and effort of our employees in delivering significantly improved customer service.  We know that our people make a real difference in providing a high quality experience for our passengers and it’s good to see this recognised in the latest results.

“But we are aiming even higher and we remain focused on delivering further improvements. Over the next year, we’ll be introducing faster journey times to London from Sheffield and Nottingham, as well as major improvements at Nottingham station.  We’re confident that the completion of these projects, as well as our continued investment in training and improved processes will help drive up customer satisfaction even further.”

The survey was carried out during January and March when the UK was hit by some severe weather conditions, including heavy snow and ice and flooding, which had an impact on all transport operators.

Some 86% of passengers were satisfied with train punctuality, which is 3% higher than the average for long distance train operators.  Passengers were also pleased with the way delays were handled, with a 7% year on year increase in this area.

East Midlands Trains continues to be one of the most punctual train operators in the country and has been the best performing long distance operator since 2008.  Latest performance figures released by Network Rail, covering the four-week period ending 25 May 2013, show train punctuality of 95.1% at East Midlands Trains.