The biggest passenger satisfaction survey in the history of Britain’s railway has launched.   

The Rail Customer Experience Survey marks another important step in putting customers at the heart of the railway.  

Approximately ten thousand passengers a month will be asked their views on the rail network, while travelling to their destination, with the aim of speaking to an estimated 130,000 passengers every year.  

Passengers will be able to voice their experiences and share their views on their journeys and areas for improvement.  

The first set of results will become publicly available on an interactive online dashboard in Autumn 2025. Passenger views will be used to help train operators improve the day-to-day service for passengers and inform industry decision-making for the improvement of rail services. This way, they can be at the forefront of driving systemic change to improve Britain’s railways and make sure operators are delivering what customers want and need. 

The survey is a collaboration between Rail Delivery Group, Department for Transport, Network Rail, Transport Focus and the Customer and Revenue Growth team, previously part of the Great British Railways Transition Team.  

Jacqueline Starr, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group said: 

“The industry is excited to offer this new and meaningful way for customers’ voices to be effectively and consistently heard across the rail network. No matter which train operator you travel with or where you are headed, you’ll have the opportunity to speak directly to us and know that you’re being listened to.  

“We’re going to make it easier for customers to share their views with the industry, and it will help the industry put those views into practice. Making a real difference for customers. And, as the industry moves towards the creation of Great British Railways, this helps us to make sure that where there is best practice, it is spread across the network so that everyone can benefit, no matter where they live.” 

Rail Minister Lord Hendy said: 

“Great British Railways is putting passengers back at the heart of our transport network. Hearing directly from those that use our trains about how to improve them will help us return services to a standard we can be proud of again. 

“We are proud to deliver this ambitious project alongside organisations across the rail sector, coming together to commit to change and improvements for the nation’s railways.” 

Laura Shoaf, Chair of Shadow Great British Railways said:  

“The launch of this survey marks a significant step forward for Britain’s railways.  By launching the largest-ever passenger survey, Shadow Great British Railways partners are putting customers at the heart of everything we do. 

“Talking directly to ten thousand passengers every month — while they travel — will give us an unprecedented understanding of the real passenger experience. 

“As we progress toward establishing Great British Railways, this survey is a vital tool to identify what’s working well and best practices are shared across the entire network — so that all passengers benefit from consistent, high-quality service.” 

Natasha Grice, Director at the independent watchdog Transport Focus said: 

“It’s critical that we listen to what passengers tell us are the most important areas to improve upon when it comes to the experiences they are having across the rail industry. The new survey is going to do exactly that, by providing a significant increase in the amount of feedback we hear. This can only be a good thing, and will help us all to remain focused on delivering improvements to the passenger experience. 

“As well as publishing our quarterly scorecard highlighting how operators are performing across a number of industry metrics, we will be producing a 6 – monthly official statistics report starting in May 2026.” 

Suzanne Donnelly, Customer & Revenue Growth Director for Network Rail said:  

“The launch of this survey is a powerful example of the whole railway sector coming together to deliver a step change in rail’s customer insight capability. 

“Developed collaboratively by the Rail Delivery Group, Network Rail, the Department for Transport, train operating companies, and other partners, this programme puts the passenger voice at the centre of our shared decision-making.  

“It lays a crucial foundation for understanding current customer needs and creating the right conditions for Great British Railways — which will ultimately help to rebuild public trust and encourage more people to travel by train.” 

This survey replaces the National Rail Passenger Survey and comes in at more than double the total sample size. To be held continuously with no planned end date, the rolling survey will cover the entire rail industry, bringing together elements from previous industry-level surveys for the first time. This new methodology leverages new technology to pinpoint the train a respondent is travelling on. It will help to fully reflect the everyday experience of rail passengers, providing a common framework for the whole industry to measure passenger satisfaction, with results data providing new, universal benchmarks that can be compared across the whole network.

As the c2c rail franchise transitions to public ownership under the Department for Transport on, formally becoming c2c Railway Limited, Trenitalia reflects on what it describes a meaningful and productive chapter in its UK journey – one marked by sustained investment, operational innovation and a shared commitment to delivering high-quality rail services – while reaffirming its continued role in supporting the long-term development of the UK transport sector and contributing to national and regional economic growth.

While rail industry reform continues to take shape, Trenitalia says it remains firmly committed to its future in the UK market and to maintaining investment across the broader mobility ecosystem. This includes its recent application to operate high-speed services between London and Paris, forming part of a broader commitment to building a more interconnected and sustainable European rail network.

As part of the FS Group, with more than a century of rail experience across Italy and internationally, Trenitalia’s transition from franchise operator marks not an exit, but a repositioning to strategic partner, ready to contribute its expertise to the vision set out by Great British Railways and its interaction with local bodies while running the railway as a national network.

In doing so, Trenitalia continues to foster partnerships with UK-based SMEs, universities and innovation hubs, supporting knowledge exchange and long-term sector resilience.

Since acquiring c2c in 2017, it says its goal was ambitious: to translate the skills, discipline and customer-focused excellence developed in the highly competitive Italian market for British customers. This has included a significant focus on service quality, technological advancement and long-term value for passengers.

Over the past eight years, c2c has supported over 315 million passenger journeys and operated 935,000 services and has been consistently recognised as one of the UK’s most punctual train operators, achieving a 94.5% overall customer satisfaction score in most recent Transport Focus survey period – the highest of any UK train operating company.

A substantial programme of investment underpinned this performance. Highlights include the introduction of 10 new Alstom electric trainsets, representing a £100 million commitment to fleet modernisation, and the delivery of the UK’s first fully contactless national rail network, now used for over 10,000 daily taps across the c2c route.

In parallel, improvements to ticketing with Trenitalia’s fully digital PICO system, replacing multiple outdated legacy UK ticket systems, passenger compensation, and upgrades to station facilities have further contributed to a smoother, more modern customer experience.

Trenitalia’s management of c2c has also played a material role in supporting the wider regional economy and community. Each weekday, over 25,000 commuters rely on c2c services into London, with independent analysis showing that rail travel contributes approximately £590 million annually to businesses in the East of England.

Operational excellence has remained a consistent focus, supported by effective fare compliance measures that recovered £596,000 from evasion in the most recent year. c2c has also earned multiple independent accreditations recognising its commitment to passenger and staff safety, including certifications in Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Secure Stations and the White Ribbon initiative.

Complementing these efforts, working in lockstep with the government through targeted investments such as the Station Improvement Fund and the Customer & Communities Investment Fund (CCIF) has significantly enhanced the passenger experience by upgrading facilities and services across the network’s stations.

Ernesto Sicilia, Managing Director at Trenitalia UK, commented: “Our management of c2c has been grounded in a resolve for continuous improvement and being in tune with the needs of the communities we serve.

“As the franchise moves to public ownership, we acknowledge both the progress made and the ongoing challenges of unifying a fragmented rail industry. In the meantime, we will continue to support and deliver services on the Avanti West Coast franchise until it too transitions to public ownership in 2026.

“While our role as operator is ending, our dedication to sharing knowledge, supporting innovation and fostering collaboration remains unchanged. We recognise that building a resilient and integrated rail network takes time and Trenitalia is determined to play a constructive part in that journey.”

As the c2c franchise returns to public hands, Trenitalia has said it extends its sincere appreciation to the teams, passengers and industry partners who have contributed to this journey. Trenitalia has said it takes great pride in the achievements realised during this time and looks forward to contributing to the next chapter of UK rail.