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Service Quality Regime (SQR) | Service Quality Area | Benchmark | Period 1 (01/04/24 to 27/04/24) |
Period 2 (28/04/24 to 25/05/24) |
Period 3 (26/05/24 to 22/06/24) |
Period 4 (23/06/24 to 20/07/24) |
Period 5 (21/07/24 to 17/08/24) |
Period 6 (18/08/24 to 14/09/24) |
Period 7 (15/09/24 to 12/10/24) |
Period 8 (13/10/24 to 09/11/24) |
Period 9 (10/11/24 to 07/12/24) |
Period 10 (08/12/24 to 04/01/25) |
Period 11 (05/01/25 to 01/02/25) |
Period 12 (02/02/25 to 01/03/25) |
Period 13 (02/03/25 to 31/03/25) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stations | Ambience and Assets | 82% | 81.10% | 93.29% | 78.99% | |||||||||||
Stations | Cleanliness and Graffiti | 89% | 87.94% | 85.82% | 89.61% | |||||||||||
Stations | Information | 85% | 76.35% | 84.19% | 83.09% | |||||||||||
Stations | Ticketing and Staffing | 93% | 93.18% | 100% | 98.68% | |||||||||||
Trains | Ambience and Assets | 92% | 92.90% | 93.26% | 93.40% | |||||||||||
Trains | Cleanliness and Graffiti | 95% | 93.74% | 94.15% | 90.13% | |||||||||||
Trains | Information | 91% | 92.02% | 93.59% | 88.33% | |||||||||||
Customer service | Staff Helpfulness | 94% | 93.33% | 95.18% | 91.67% | |||||||||||
Customer service | Online Information | 92% | 98.57% | 100% | 100% |
Last updated 01 July 2024 - This page is updated every 4 weeks
1) Travel information and ticket sales
2) Punctuality and cancellations
3) Cleanliness
5) Complaints and compensation
6) Assistance
7) Details of ticket office opening hours and European contact centre availability
Customers can request a copy of our Passengers Charter, or find it on tpexpress.co.uk/about-us/passengers-charter
Our train timetables are always available online, at tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/timetables
Information on ticket prices and conditions are always available via tpexpress.co.uk/train-tickets, and can also be obtained from our stations, contact centre and social media team, details of which can be found at the bottom of this page.
Information on accessibility, access conditions and availability of onboard facilities for people who require assistance is available on request from our contact centre, social media team and on tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/assisted-travel
Information on our policy concerning bicycles is also available from our stations, our contact centre, the social media team and on tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/travelling-with-a-bike
Information about incidents which cause significant disruption (i.e. delays of more than 60 minutes to more than one service) is available from our contact centre and on tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/live-departures-and-arrivals
When services are severely disrupted, we will issue information through our social media channels such as Twitter. Live travel information is also available on tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/live-departures-and-arrivals.
Information about our onboard facilities is available via our social media team, our contact centre and via https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/onboard-facilities
To find out about procedures for finding lost property customers can visit tpexpress.co.uk/help/lost-property
All our trains have clear signage above the internal doors at the end of each coach, giving information about the location and availability of onboard toilets and the bar coaches. Customers can also ask any member of the TransPennine Express onboard team for this information.
Information regarding the next station will be announced onboard by our conductors and automated announcements.
In the case of delays the conductor will announce information at appropriate intervals.
Safety guideline notices can be found onboard, and the train manager will also make announcements shortly after each station stop.
Customers can buy tickets for travel in advance or on the day of travel by visiting tpexpress.co.uk or by visiting one of our stations in person.
Refunds of unused tickets are made through the original point of sale, provided the ticket purchased is refundable. Therefore, if the customer bought the ticket on tpexpress.co.uk and it is refundable, it may be refunded via tpexpress.co.uk/help/refunds
At TransPennine Express we set ourselves high standards of train punctuality and make every effort to get customers to their destination on time.
There are occasions, usually outside of our control, where trains may be delayed or disrupted.
For delays to TransPennine Express services we will make the following compensation available to customers:
Delayed for 15 to 29 minutes – Claim 25% compensation of your single ticket or 12.5% of your return ticket cost
Delayed for 30 to 59 minutes - Claim 50% compensation of your single ticket or 50% of the relevant delayed portion of your return ticket
Delayed for 60 to 119 minutes - Claim 100% compensation of your single ticket or 100% of the cost of the relevant portion of your return ticket
Delayed for 120+ minutes - Claim 100% compensation of the cost of your single ticket or 100% cost of your return ticket (i.e. both portions, not just one way)*
*This will be calculated based on the price actually paid by you for the leg of the journey subject to the delay
At TransPennine Express (TPE), we collaborate with Network Rail and other operators to improve our service performance. We are now obligated to measure performance through CP6 metrics, replacing the Public Performance Measure (PPM) system.
We measure performance through Time to 3 minutes, Time to 15 minutes and cancellations. The key difference between CP6 metrics and PPM is that Time to 3 and Time to 15 are measured at every station our services call, whereas PPM was solely based on the train's final destination. Analysing performance through CP6 metrics allows for a clearer representation of punctuality along the whole route rather than just at the final destination.
A key focus for TPE is our Time to 3 measurements, ensuring our trains are no more than two minutes and 59 seconds late at any station on their journey. Cancellations aren't included in Time to 3 and Time to 15 (another difference from PPM), so it's important also to report the percentage of trains cancelled to capture the reliability of the service through the cancellation percentage.
Despite exerting every effort to deliver customers to their intended destinations without delay, there are times in which unforeseen circumstances, such as adverse weather conditions, infrastructure complications, operational incidents, or external events, which can adversely affect train services and lead to untimely arrivals.
From October 2023 to April 2024, a total 345,536 TPE services arrived within three minutes of their expected time, meeting the requirement of being no more than two minutes and 59 seconds late at each station along their journey. This an improved performance compared to the same timeframe last year (October 2022 to April 2023) where the number of services meeting this three-minute threshold totalled 218,890.
During the period from October 2023 to April 2024, 66.4% of TPE services arrived within three minutes of their expected time. This fell short of the company's goal of achieving a 67.0% success rate.
Regarding the 15-minute measurement, which involves ensuring that trains are no more than 14 minutes and 59 seconds late at each station, again TPE delivered an improved service compared to the previous year with 490,554 trains arriving at stations within 15 minutes between October 2023 and April 2024, compared to 303,392 in the same period in the previous year from October 2022 to April 2023.
During the latter period, 94.3% of TPE services arrived at a station within fifteen minutes of their planned time, compared to the target of 95.6%.
Cancellation figures
During the period of October 2023 to April 2024, TPE experienced a cancellation rate of 8.07% of services, which exceeded the company's target of 4.75%.
To effectively manage disruptions and crises, TPE has implemented several initiatives as part of its contingency and crisis management plans.
TPE control is responsible for daily management of disruptions, aiming to minimize the overall impact of any incidents that occur.
Within this framework, control establishes and agrees upon service recovery policies that outline appropriate actions to be taken in the event of service delays. These policies may involve removing stops from the train's schedule or terminating the train before reaching its destination to ensure timely commencement of the next working service.
The primary objective of service recovery is to minimise the duration of incidents' impact on passengers by swiftly restoring trains to their scheduled timetables. Furthermore, in situations where adverse weather conditions are forecasted to disrupt normal train operations, TPE collaborates with Network Rail to determine the most suitable service that can be provided. The goal is to offer a reliable service during the expected weather impact.
These measures and collaborative efforts aim to effectively manage disruptions, minimize their impact on passengers, and ensure the smooth operation of train services.
When trains are cancelled, we provide the same information and help we give to customers affected by delays, and the same compensation policy applies.
Our supplier cleaning audits averaged 98.39% for stations and 90.61% on trains.
Our trains are cleaned on each turnaround when a service reaches its destination and also undertake periodic deep cleaning operations. We conduct a number of independent train cleaning audits each month across our locations and our suppliers also conduct their own audits against the same criteria.
Our Stations are also deep cleaned regularly and there are always cleaners present during our hours of operation to keep the station environment as clean, safe and clear of litter as possible. Each month we conduct audits of our stations. All of these audits are accompanied by a representative from the cleaning supplier.
At TPE we utilise a variety of sources to assess customer satisfaction, including industry-wide surveys, regular post-trip surveys, and in-person fieldwork.
The primary measure of customer satisfaction is the Net Promoter Score (NPS), derived from the in-person fieldwork called CSM (previously known as Shadow NRPS). For the specified period (P7-13), our NPS stood at +3. It is important to note that NPS is heavily influenced by satisfaction with punctuality, hence the improvements we’ve seen during the year as performance has stabilised. For comparison, P1-6 was scoring -7. The overall journey satisfaction, as indicated in this survey, was 83% for P7-13.
Additionally, we analyse customer feedback provided through social media comments, post-trip surveys, and direct contact with our contact centre. Verbatim feedback from customers is reviewed and serves as the basis for discussions during insights and improvement meetings. This year we improved our post-trip survey to allow for me detailed, drilled-down analysis to take place. We’ve noticed throughout the year, contact is no longer dominated by performance issues such as delays and cancellations.
All the gathered customer feedback is utilised by senior management across the organisation to guide long-term strategies. Customer-facing teams also leverage this feedback to make tactical improvements to enhance customer service. Furthermore, when customers contact our contact centre, we specifically inquire about their satisfaction with how their query was handled, allowing us to continuously assess and improve our performance.
Our Customer Relations Team is dedicated to assisting customers who are dissatisfied with any aspect of their journey with TransPennine Express. Appropriate compensation will be considered on a case-by-case basis for issues that fall outside the provisions of our Passenger’s Charter.
We will use the customer’s preferred contact method when responding to complaints.
For information on how to submit a complaint about our services, please visit our Complaints page
Total number of complaints
The number of complaints received from the start of Period 1 (April 2023) to the end of Period 13 (March 2024) was 18,878, representing a 9% reduction compared to the previous year.
During this period, 96.87% of all complaints were responded to within 20 working days
This graph shows the total number of logged complaints for 2023-24. The highlighted column in P10 indicates the period when the timetable change occurred, followed by a subsequent reduction in complaints in the following periods.
We regularly host improvement meetings with colleagues from across the business, focusing on top complaint categories and sharing ideas for improvement. These meetings develop continuous improvement and proactive problem-solving, ensuring we stay aligned with our goal of delivering exceptional customer service.
Additionally, we host periodic service reviews with our contact centre to analyse trends and implement actions. By working closely with our contact centre team, we ensure that insights from our customers and colleagues are translated into tracked actions. This proactive approach enables us to address issues promptly and maintain high standards of customer satisfaction.
Each period, we conduct numerous mystery shops of our contact centre, evaluating all customer contact methods, including calls, live chat, and web forms. This ensures we maintain high standards of service and continuously improve the customer experience. We also hold a calibration session each period with our contact centre to review how individual cases were handled by advisors and identify any knowledge gaps.
Our social media team was given access to provide Customer Relations, Delay-Repay and Refund updates for customers contacting us through social media channels. This access enabled us to offer quicker responses, enhancing the customer experience and improving first contact resolution.
Onboard improvements
185 toilets
Toilets have been an ongoing issue, with some services having locked out toilets or in other cases, flooding. Good progress has been made on this to tackle and reduce the situation, with the toilet tank acid clean program (which restores tank capacity and reduced the likelihood of pipe blockages) being completed in May 2024, which has helped improve toilet performance.
CET at Liverpool Lime Street
Arrangements for a Controlled Emission Toilet (CET) at Liverpool Lime Street to help operational conditions that were affecting circulation of the Class 185 trains through locations where toilet tank emptying takes place has now been completed. This has increased the availability of tanking on the South Route. It also has helped to create a significant increase in CET tank duration and help clear blockages throughout the day on the Cleethorpes – Liverpool services.
To view our full Complaints Continuous Improvements report, please click here.
There are a few ways you can book passenger assistance:
By completing the Passenger Assist Form, and someone from our Passenger Assist Team will process your request and be in touch should confirmation of any details be required.
Webforms need to be submitted at least 2 hours prior to you commencing your journey within our contact centre opening times (24 hours a day, every day, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day).
Call our Passenger Assist Team on 0800 107 2149.
Customers who are deaf or hard of hearing can use the Text Relay service by adding the prefix 18001 in front of the number. A relay assistant will translate your call to text with the Next Generation Text service. To find out more about this service, visit ngts.org.uk
Our lines are open 24 hours a day, every day, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Our dedicated Passenger Assist Team will be happy to help you make your booking.
Assistance can also be booked by the Passenger Assist Transreport App.
Simply message ‘Assisted Travel’ to 07812 223336 and our social media team can help with your booking.
WhatsApp is monitored between 6am – 11pm Monday to Sunday every day (Except Christmas Day and Boxing day)
We can also provide help when you travel, even if it has not been booked in advance. You can turn up at any station that is accessible to you and request assistance onto a train from a member of staff directly or by using a help point.
Comprehensive information about the assistance services we provide and what to expect when travelling with us can be found at tpexpress.co.uk.
Between October 2023 (P7) and April 2024 (P13), TPE provided a total of 11,595 assists (7,597 pre-booked and 3,998 turn-up-and-go).
6am-11pm everyday, except Christmas Day (closed) and Boxing Day (reduced working hours)
Here is a list of the Ticket Office Opening times for the stations that we operate:
Brough
Monday - Friday 05:15 - 19:45
Saturday 05:15 - 19:45
Sunday 09:00 - 18:30
Cleethorpes
Monday - Friday 06:45 - 19:30
Saturday 06:45 - 19:30
Sunday 09:00 - 19:30
Dewsbury
Monday - Friday 06:15 - 19:30
Saturday 06:15 - 19:30
Sunday 07:30 - 19:30
Grimsby Town
Monday - Friday 06:00 - 19:30
Sunday 08:45 - 19:30
Saturday 05:30 - 19:30
Huddersfield
Monday - Friday 05:45 - 20:00
Saturday 05:45 - 20:00
Sunday 07:45 - 20:00
Hull
Monday - Friday 05:30 - 20:00
Saturday 05:30 - 20:00
Sunday 08:15 - 19:15
Malton
Monday - Friday 06:30 - 19:30
Saturday 06:30 - 19:30
Sunday 09:00 - 18:45
Manchester Airport
Monday - Sunday 06:30 - 22:30
Middlesbrough
Monday - Friday 05:30 - 19:30
Saturday 05:30 - 19:30
Sunday 08:15 - 19:00
Northallerton
Monday - Saturday 05:30 - 18:30
Sunday 09:00 - 18:30
Scarborough
Monday - Friday 06:15 - 20:00
Saturday 06:15 - 20:00
Sunday 08:30 - 20:00
Scunthorpe
Monday - Friday 05:45 - 19:30
Saturday 05:45 - 19:30
Sunday 08:45 - 19:30
Stalybridge
Monday - Friday 06:00 - 20:00
Saturday 06:00 - 20:00
Sunday 08:15 - 19:45
Thirsk
Monday - Friday 06:00 - 19:45
Saturday 06:00 - 19:45
Sunday 08:45 - 17:30
Thornaby
Monday - Friday 05:45 - 19:45
Saturday 05:45 - 19:45
Sunday 09:15 - 17:15
SQR works to ensure we are delivering the best possible standards for our customers across all sectors of our business. Each period, 250 inspections are carried out by independent assessors against a set of standards looking at key areas of our service offering. These include cleanliness, the availability of key assets onboard our trains and our stations (including car parks), the accuracy and availability of customer information and much more.
We’re set nine benchmarks against trains, stations and customer service – these are then broken down further into different indicators such as seating at stations, toilet operation, toilet cleanliness, litter and many more.
Station Cleanliness and Ambience
- Cleanliness and graffiti at stations consistently receive high scores, with just three periods falling short of the benchmark.
- Ambience and Assets at stations continues to be a challenging area with benchmark having been met 6 times across the year.
- Cleanliness at stations continues to score consistently high, with benchmark having been missed on three occasions – with P11 missing benchmark by 0.82%
Toilet Facilities
Toilet cleanliness at stations consistently scores high, with 8 of the Periods scoring 100%
Onboard Train Experience
- Cleanliness on trains has met the benchmark of 95% across 10 periods in 23/24, with the lowest score being 93.36% in P10.
- Wi-Fi on board has seen an improvement in scoring against the same periods the previous year and this has helped towards the annual average.
Customer Service and Online Information
Customer service continues to score exceptionally high, with staff helpfulness returning an average result of 94.03% this year.
For online information, we have continued to score well this year with online information scoring 100% across 5 periods. The average for the year is just down on last years 97% at 96.28%.
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