Anthony Smith, Chief executive of Passenger Focus
ANTHONY Smith is passionate about making a difference to the travelling lives of the millions of people who use the national rail network.
As chief executive of Passenger Focus, the independent lobby organisation set up to protect the interests of rail passengers, he is in the advantageous position of having his finger directly on the pulse when it comes to passenger concerns.
Whether it be poor punctuality, delayed or cancelled trains, low staff visibility, fares too high, poor communication when things go wrong or just dirty station toilets, his government-funded organisation knows about it.
The basis of their intimate knowledge of all things good and bad about the industry is garnered from its influential National Passenger Satisfaction Survey. This twice-yearly publication, which has train company MDs reaching for their phones to find out why things are going wrong – or to praise staff when things go right – has become one of the most powerful tools available to Passenger Focus in fighting for a better deal for passengers. As well as giving overall satisfaction rates on a percentage score, it lists passenger scores on a plethora of station and train facilities, and compares the figures of each survey with those of the previous one. This gives train company managers an at-a-glance idea of where things need improving.
Anthony Smith, 48, a lawyer who has headed up Passenger Focus since 2005, says: “The survey gives a benchmark into the performance of train companies on a whole range of facilities and it has become the biggest public survey of its kind in the world.
“It is based on solid research involving around 52,000 passengers a year. This forms a great bedrock of opinion. But we don’t just want to be known as a research organisation – we want to make the world a better place for rail passengers.”
He bases his remarks on a strong philosophy which, he says, permeates everything Passenger Focus does. “Don’t shout, use a basis of research not anecdotal and be useful,” he says.
He insists that the survey is not meant to be a league table of the best and worst train companies, as it is difficult to provide a complete like-for-like comparison of so many very different franchises. “Chiltern, for example, is so different from a big company such as South West Trains, which has a very complex route set up.”
Since becoming its chief executive, Anthony Smith’s organisation has expanded to 45 people – 17 in London, 17 in Manchester and 11 passenger managers who work closely with train companies and report to passenger director Ashwin Kumar. The organisation’s annual budget is £5.3 million.
Passenger Focus was set up as an executive non-departmental public body after The Railways Act 2005 abolished the old regional rail passenger committees and former National Rail Passenger Council.
Mr Smith’s route into the world of consumer protection came after he gained a history degree at Warwick University. He soon realised his first job, involving tinned food importation in his home town of Sevenoaks, Kent, had no future for him. Instead, he qualified as a solicitor then joined the Consumer’s Association, working on the legal side, before eventually joining the Central Rail Users Committee as national director.
“I had always had an interest in railways; my father was an engineer and something of a steam buff. We used to see the ‘Golden Arrow’, a famous train then, go through on its way to the coast and I once travelled from Sevenoaks to Istanbul by train – a great experience.”
His involvement with rail consumer protection started some 10 years ago in 1999 – the year of the Ladbroke Grove rail disaster.
Currently filling his in-tray are issues surrounding the huge January disruption of the newly modernised West Coast main line and the big fare increases.
He says of the West Coast debacle: “We have to make sure that when the debate about this starts, the voice of Passenger Focus is heard.”
At the time, he called for a major rethink on introducing the new full timetable for the West Coast.
The big New Year hike in fares has also been contentious and Passenger Focus has called on the Government and train companies to halt “further excessive fare rises” and to limit the range within which regulated fares are allowed to rise.
He maintains that leisure passengers are ‘happy bunnies’ with their heavily-discounted Advance tickets, while business travellers are also less concerned about fare hikes because their companies usually pick up the bill. “But once again, it’s people who feel they have no choice but to use the train – the majority of commuters – which is the tough market to deal with. Some of the fares, say from Gillingham in Kent, are going up by 11 per cent.”
For the first time Passenger Focus has been given the opportunity to have some say in future fare increases by having a direct input into the specifications for the new South Central franchise which is up for grabs this year.
“We have been involved in writing the specification for this new franchise on which companies will be bidding. We are very proud of this. We went to Ruth Kelly when she was transport secretary and, to her credit, she got her officials to deal with us and we helped to shape the spec ready for consultation.”
Passenger Focus spoke to more than 6,500 passengers to see what they want in a new franchise, “so the new franchise should be more reflective of what passengers want”.
For instance, instead of regulated fares at RPI plus five per cent – as happened last year – the figure suggested was RPI plus two per cent.
“Passengers also wanted more staff at stations, more trains late in the evenings and at weekends, and better information during disruption.
“We would like to put this new model into all new franchises. Our aim is to be useful, if we are not useful we should not exist.”
On the length of franchises, he believes they should only be longer if there is adequate consumer protection. “Franchises only get booted out if they fail to produce money for the Government. People need to know that changes can be made if a company is not performing properly.”
But franchises are not the only subject Passenger Focus is involving itself in. It has also helped produce a report about what passengers want from the £5.5 billion Thameslink project, which will deliver enormous extra capacity on the north/ south route.
Research to find out what passengers expect from the new trains has been carried out with the DfT and London TravelWatch.
“This is a first for us and we did the research through focus groups and mock-ups of what the coaches will be like. One thing that emerged very strongly is that people have a hatred of 3 x 2 seating – they don’t like sitting in the middle and having to climb past people to get out.”
Once, performance topped passenger priorities but, with levels now improving, value for money and the ability to get a seat have become more important. But whatever the changes, one thing stands out as vital on the railway – staff. “They are one of the most important resources the industry has,” he says.
High visibility of staff and good communications are still basic but paramount in an industry where the customer often uses the product purchased at least 10 times a week.
“The rail industry is interesting and stimulating and is run by people who really care and are very dedicated, hard-working and conscientious,” says Mr Smith. “But it is an industry on which everyone has a view – so there is always a new challenge for us.”
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Despite a vociferous campaign of valid lobbying, Passenger Focus has done absolutely nothing to rectify the situation on the Portsmouth Direct Line, where, since the 2006 Stagecoach franchise renewal, many weekday and all Saturday main line 'express' services are diagrammed for suburban rolling stock (abominable Class 450). SWT's 2004 gift to Portsmouth Direct Line passengers of Class 444 was largely confiscated in 2006/07 to serve the needs of the Bournemouth line, when the 24 excellent Class 442 units were needlessly withdrawn. Given that Class 442 now holds flagship status with Southern on Gatwick and B.M.L. services, the claims by SWT in 2007 about these splendid units were 'a pack of lies'. Claims that 'overcrowding' justified the changes on the Portsmouth Direct line were another 'pack of lies', a fact endorsed by any regular user. However, Passenger Focus has chosen to ignore this scandal, one in which passengers are required to pay main line express prices while given suburban trains for transport. The pusillanimous excuse for doing nothing is a disgrace, viz. that choice of rolling stock is a matter for the T.O.C. Passenger Focus remains a embarrassing misnomer, while it fails to honour the expectation enshrined in its title.
SWT reneged on its 2004 promise, when the 2006/07 act of confiscation took place; Portsmouth Direct line passengers were betrayed as a consequence. Passenger Focus has done nothing - in over three years - to restore to Portsmouth Direct line users the quality of service to which they are entitled and for which they are paying. It follows, ipso facto, that the operation calling itself 'Passenger Focus' is indifferent to the extreme discomfort suffered by passengers, required, as they are, to spend between 60 and 90 minutes in suburban rolling stock. Furthermore, it is evident that, through taxation and fares, Portsmouth Direct line passengers are paying the wages of people who lack the pre-requisites of conscience, obligation and integrity - but who are skilfully protected from the spotlight of accountability. It is indeed a disgrace.
Bruce Oliver, Southsea, Hampshire, England