Passenger Focus survey

This week Passenger Focus were handing out survey forms at Bletchley.  According to the script that introduced the survey:

"If the Government proceeds with high-speed rail proposals between London and Birmingham, then some services would transfer to the high-speed line.  this would provide an opportunity at some point in the future for considerable service improvements to be introduced on the existing route.  We would like to hear your views on the these potential future improvements."


I'm sorry, but I find this a bit strange...  As the intro also says "Passenger Focus is the official independent consumer organisation representing rail users nationally".  Now if the date were somewhere close to 2026 (the date that HS2 is scheduled to complete assuming it gets the go-ahead and all goes to plan) then I could understand why they'd want to ask questions about priorities on train frequency, journey times and seat availability, but that's 15 years away.

The questions asked here are extremely detailed.  See example below:

Passenger Focus survey - Question 14a asks
for a preference between a train every 15mins with
100 seats for 80 passengers and a journey time of
43 minutes with the other option also being 15 minute
frequency but only 100 seats for 170 passengers
with a journey time of 30mins.

Question 14b has a journey time of 50 minutes for
both options but one has a frequency of 10 minutes
and 100 seats for 170 passengers while the other
has a frequency of 15 minutes and 120 passengers for
100 seats

Am I being paranoid when I say that I suspect that this is another marketing exercise designed to dig up statistics which the pro-HS2 lobby can use to justify the £30bn plus expenditure, disturbance to people who live on the proposed route for the line and ecological damage?  Commuters can't say anything else other than that they'd welcome more trains, quicker journeys and more seats.  Have we been tricked into giving them ammunition to help them railroad this one through? (pun intended!)



What do you think?  Is it odd that Passenger Focus (the body which produces the customer satisfaction stats used by the Department of Transport and the Train Operating Companies to measure performance which regularly show favourable opinions for our line) is asking the public this kind of questions at a time when a large number of local councils, heritage and environmental groups, and a significant percentage of the general public have voiced their opposition against HS2?

See also:

• Passenger Focus - About Us
• Passenger Focus - Customer satisfaction survey results for London Midland

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HS2 and the Chilterns

Yesterday I and my family had lunch at The Plough at Cadsden.  This 16th century pub is on the route of the Ridgeway, and about a mile from Chequers, the Prime Minister's country retreat (this is off subject for this blog, but I can strongly recommend the beer and food...)

This was a first visit to this pub which I found thanks to the wonders of the world wide web.   While checking it out I stumbled on Is it a bird, is it a plane, or is it HS2?, a page on their website expressing opposition to HS2 (the proposed high speed rail line between London and Birmingham - High Speed Two - HS2 Ltd). In a separate news item the owners have pointed out the absurdity of the situation where plans for a major infrastructure development in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty can be forced through but they couldn't get planning permission for an outside shelter for customers who wish to smoke (Gimme Shelter!)

The Berks Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust have also expressed serious concerns about the environmental impact if HS2 goes ahead.  In their latest press release dated 21 December they state “The route announced yesterday will irreparably damage several important wildlife sites including Calvert Jubilee Nature Reserve in north Buckinghamshire and the Colne Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest in south Buckinghamshire.” (full BBOWT Press Release).

See also:

• Chilterns - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• HS2 Action Alliance
• Stop HS2
• Stop the HS2 Route

The conservation/heritage/environmental argument is of course just one issue affecting how people view HS2. The Government and the rail industry say that the construction of a fast line is essential to provide meet capacity demands and claim that the saving in journey times (which may be as little as 20 minutes - See Daily Telegraph Is this another High-Speed train crash?) while groups (official and unofficial representing residents are concerned about the impact on the around around their homes. The economic argument is also split with claims of both positive and negative outcomes.

I have no idea how HS2 will (assuming it goes ahead) affect me as a resident of Buckinghamshire and a commuter into London, but I intend to do more reading and return to the subject over the next few weeks.  In the meantime, please feel free to express your own views (whether for or against HS2) by posting a comment below.



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