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Brian Souter sent sardines as company tops New Year poll for poor service |
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Sardines have been sent to Brian Souter, the founder and board member of Stagecoach, by passenger group TrainSardine.org. The fish were sent following the results of the first rail passenger poll of 2009 which revealed that over 78 % of passenger travelling on the Liverpool to Norwich train line said they were unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with the service. This is the worst customer satisfaction results in the UK. In a second poll, over 65% of passengers also called for east Midlands train company MD, Tim Shoveller, to resign. The troubled Liverpool to Norwich line is managed by Stagecoach owned East Midlands Trains who, for the past two years, have regularly turned passengers into sardines by sending two carriage trains at rush hour (it should be four). The ‘half size’ trains result in severe overcrowding across the country with many passengers not able to get on trains, making them late for work, and people with guide dogs left stranded because the RSPCA advise animals should not travel in such conditions. The Stagecoach Group made £167.3 Million profit before tax in 2008. Some of these profits must be as a result of the savings they have made in fuel and staff by running half length train services. Profits made at the expense of passengers not being able to get to work are unacceptable. The Stagecoach Group has a legal contract to provide a service. However, they only have to communicate late or cancelled trains. Their website ‘faults with service’ page never mentions the incomplete trains they send. So no penalty and no action. |
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Tim Shoveller, MD East Midlands Trains |
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A terrible rail service while they get rich |
