Overcrowding? Us?

Last week the Office of the Rail Regulator released their report for 2009 (see National Rail Trends Yearbook 2009).  The press picked up and reported on some of the highlights.  Two operators were given a special mention - First Great Western and our own dear London Midland...


In 2008 the % of London Midland services which ran in excess of capacity during the peak period was 4.8%.  In 2009 that figure had increased to 5.9%.


After reading an article on this in my own newspaper I posted up the London Midland figures on Twitter.  This generated the following response:

 

I think that's a pretty fair reply.  It's good to hear that the numbers are improving but even better to be told that they recognise that they still need to do better.

So no complaints about London Midland, but what about their trade body, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC)?  The ATOC Media Centre carries the following press release:

Complaints drop to record low levels 08/10/2010


In repsonse to ORR figures on overcrowding and customer complaints, a spokesperson for the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said:


“These figures show that, overall, overcrowding fell last year and that passenger complaints across the country have recently dropped to their lowest level on record.’’


“Train companies are in the business of keeping their customers happy and dislike having to put passengers onto trains which are overcrowded. The figures highlight the importance of sustained and targeted investment to ease overcrowding on the railways.”

I don't know which claim I find funnier - the one about passenger complaint numbers dropping (do they not read Twitter?) or the statement that train companies are in the business of keeping their customers happy!!

Then there's the "repsonse" spelling mistake.  Amateur communicators like me can be excused errors like this, but paid PR professionals...?


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