NRMA Seeing Red on Rail campaign reveals the things that drive train users crazy

DIRTY carriages, dingy platforms and muddled announcements. If you are on the train right now, you are probably experiencing some of these things.

Crowded carriages are among commuters’ top complaints about trains. Picture: Theo Fakos

THEY’RE the things that turn a simple train trip into a painful ordeal.

A survey released today by the National Roads and Motorists Association has identified commuters’ pet peeves when catching the train — and they’re things that every passenger can relate to.

Dirty, rubbish-laden and graffitied carriages was the main problem with catching a train, while security was the biggest concern at railway stations.

The survey found that the top five problems on trains were:

1. Food and drink on the seat or floor — 50 per cent

2. Dirty carriages and graffiti — 48 per cent

3. Can’t understand or hear announcements — 47 per cent

4. Poor airconditioning and ventilation — 46 per cent

5. Too crowded/not enough seats — 43 per cent

The top five problems with railway stations were:

1. Don’t feel safe at certain times of the day — 38 per cent

2. Lack of parking near stations — 37 per cent

3. Not enough staff to help passengers — 32 per cent

4. Graffiti and a lack of cleanliness — 31 per cent

5. Overcrowded platforms — 30 per cent

A lack of security is one of the main problems with railway stations, according to an NRMA survey.

The findings are part of the NRMA’s second annual Seeing Red on Rail survey, which attracted 12,000 responses this year.

Association president Wendy Machin said one of the most concerning findings was the need for better security, which was the main problem on stations in both 2013 and 2014.

The report showed a gender bias, with more women reporting feeling unsafe than men.

Ms Machin said greater visibility of staff and police, better lighting and more commuter parking, close to the station, could lessen commuters’ fears.

The survey focuses on NSW, and Ms Machin said the State Government had made progress on a number of the concerns — especially commuter car parking — but there was still more work to do.

“Our research shows that over 80 per cent of commuters still think more improvements need to be made to the rail network and close to 40 per cent didn’t notice any improvements over the last year,” Ms Machin said.

“People want to feel safe when they are using public transport, yet only 13 per cent of commuters say they noticed any sort of improvement in personal safety or visible police on our trains last year — despite a raft of changes by the NSW Government.”

Passengers board a train in Perth. Picture: Kerris Berrington

The survey also gave respondents the chance to suggest how their train trip could be more enjoyable.

Here are some of the top ideas:

● Wi-fi on trains and platforms — 45 per cent

● Automatic climate control and airconditioning on trains — 38 per cent

● Dedicated bike racks on trains — 15 per cent

●  Better toilets and baby change tables — 13 per cent

● TV screens on trains for entertainment and travel information — 12 per cent

However, it wasn’t all bad news.

Ms Machin told news.com.au that commuters reported some services were better since last year’s survey.

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“A lot of people have noticed improvements in announcements, a quarter noticed improvements in cleanliness,” she said.

Ms Machin said a better train system would benefit all NRMA members, who are primarily motorists.

“There’s a lot of talk about congestion and good, integrated public transport is in the interests of everybody, including our members: they walk, they catch the train, they catch the bus and they cycle,” she said.

The findings will be passed on to NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian and her department.

More than 12,000 people responded to the NRMA’s Seeing Red on Rail survey.

Originally published as NRMA Seeing Red on Rail campaign reveals the things that drive train users crazy