Does the abolition of the Rail Passengers Committees make the work of the Panel even more important?
Yes, without doubt. The recent restructuring has seen the Regional Passenger Committees replaced by a new, single, national organisation, Passengerfocus, with only a handful of passengers and fewer resources. The need for effective rail passenger representation is greater than ever. South West Trains’ Passengers’ Panel helps to fill the gap by providing, at least in South West Trains’ area, a strong voice for passengers. But the Panel does not have the old RPC’s statutory status, resources and right to be consulted. Other train companies have set up a forum, but none as good as that set up by South West Trains. What have been the Panel’s achievements? We have contributed to improvements in many areas of passenger service, from on-board announcements, website information and brochures through to train design and ticket-refund policy. Panel members regularly carry out station inspections across the network and we pass on our findings and recommendations—for example, cleaning, signage and
