A Merseyrail passenger is a happy passenger

MERSEYRAIL passengers are the happiest in the UK, according to consumer watchdog Which?

Frequency, punctuality, reliability and speed, Merseyrail has got the lot, found a new survey. And it secured the highest ever score for a rail operator, achieving a thumbs up of 70 per cent of passengers questioned. Nineteen UK rail companies were assessed.

Merseyrail, a 50-50 joint venture between Serco and Abellio, achieved “recommended provider” status - making it a bit like the Meile vaccuum of rail operators. It’s the first time Which? has awarded the accolade to a rail company.  

The company, which carries 110,000 passengers a day, says it follows hot on the heels of success last month in the National Rail Passenger Survey (autumn 2013), where Merseyrail was top of the league table, securing 93 per cent for overall passenger satisfaction.

Maarten SpaargarenOver 7,400 regular train passengers were polled by Which? across all of the major train operating companies, and scores were based on overall satisfaction with a company and whether passengers would be likely to recommend it.

Maarten Spaargaren, managing director at Merseyrail, commented: "This is another great set of results, which we are all very proud of. There are still lessons for us in the detail, however, and over the coming days and weeks, we will be examining these particulars. Closer analysis of our scores will enable us to learn from them and means that we can continue providing a service that is not only convenient and enjoyable, but exceeds customer expectations."