FOLLOWING the Which? report in February regarding train franchises across the country, Robert Halfon MP wrote to Abellio Greater Anglia about their poor ranking in the survey.

He has received a letter of response from Abellio addressing his concerns over poor customer satisfaction, as well as compensation schemes.

Robert Halfon said: “I receive a lot of correspondence from residents concerned about the Abellio Greater Anglia service in Harlow and Roydon.

I was concerned about the low ranking of Abellio in the recent Which? survey and wrote to them to address the findings of the report.

I was especially concerned with the difficulty some passengers encountered when trying to obtain a refund for delayed or cancelled services. The letter does address this concern, and Abellio has recognised this is an area they must keep improving.

I hope that the changes mentioned in the letter achieve the best deal for commuters”

The letter outlines a number of rebuttals to the Which? report and show the steps Abellio is making before the end of their franchise to improve customer service on the network.

They said

· The Which? survey was neither very representative nor very scientific. The National Rail Passenger Survey is a much better indicator, with Abellio receiving an 81% satisfaction rating.

· The National Rail Passenger Survey reflects the £40m investment made during the current franchise to improve the train fleet.

· There will be a deployment of 50 extra cleaners, which will help improve station and on-train cleanliness.

· Launch of an online delay/repay system for season ticket holders to claim compensation for delays.

· Compensation will be available by cheque as an alternative to rail vouchers.

· Punctuality on the West Anglia route was 90.9% in the most recent period, which is well above the national average of 89.0%.

The train franchise is up for renewal this year, and the successful bidder for the next franchise will be announced in the summer.