Great Value Train Travel
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
We measure our performance in what we call rail ‘periods’, which are roughly 28 days in length and cover a full financial year. There are 13 periods in a financial year. The information below shows the performance of our trains over the latest period measure, (Period 1).
At Hull Trains we are dedicated to providing you with the best possible rail service. Our commitment to our customers is our main priority. Here you'll find our annual Rail Service Quality Report for 2024/2025.
| Financial Year / Period Number | % Cancellations to our services overall | % Cancellations to our services we caused | % of our trains arriving within 3 minutes of their timetabled arrival time | % of our trains arriving within 15 minutes of their timetabled arrival time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26/01 | 3.9% | 2.3% | 75.1% | 92.6% |
Rail Passenger Rights and Obligations Regulations – Article 28
Hull Trains Quality Standards – Rail Service Quality Report for Financial Year 2024/25
Contents
1) Information and tickets2) Punctuality and general principles to cope with disruption to services
3) Cancellation of services
4) Cleanliness of rolling stock and station facilities
5) Customer satisfaction survey
6) Complaint handling refunds and compensation
7) Passenger Assistance
1. Information and ticket sales
Before travelInformation about our travel classes and availability of onboard services is available at Your Experience and from our Customer Services team.
Provision of information during the journey
All of our trains have clear signage throughout, giving information about the location and availability of onboard toilets and priority seating. Customers can also ask any member of our onboard team for this information.
Information regarding the next station will be announced onboard by our On Board Managers and automated announcing system.
In the case of delays the On Board Manager will announce information at appropriate intervals.
The On Board Manager will also make announcements about main connecting services.
Information about incidents which cause significant disruption is available from our Customer Services team and on our Live Disruption webpage.
Safety information can be found onboard, and the On Board Manager will also make announcements shortly before departure. Further announcements are made shortly after departure.
As we do not operate any stations, requests for information are handled by the station operator who provides staff or Help Points to assist with any queries.
Our train timetables are available on our Timetables webpage or through our app which can be downloaded from your local app store.
Information about train platforms can be found on our app in the ‘live trains’ section, on the National Rail website and on customer information screens at stations.
Ticket buying facilities
Customers can buy tickets for travel in advance or on the day of travel using our app or our website or from our On Board Manager on the train.
Although we do not operate any stations there are staff at most stations at which we call. Details of the staffing provision for each station can be found on our Station Information webpage.
There are ticket selling facilities, be it a staffed booking office or ticket vending machine at each station at which we call. Details of these can be found on our Station Information webpage.
Information on accessibility, access conditions and availability of onboard facilities for disabled people, people with reduced mobility and older people, is available on request from all staffed stations at which we call, our Passenger Assist team on 0800 316 1323, the Passenger Assist webpage; through the Passenger Assist app by Transreport (which is available from your local app store) or using our WhatsApp number on 07816123149, available 24/7 except Christmas Day and Boxing Day when we are closed.
2. Punctuality and general principles to cope with disruption to services
DelaysAt Hull Trains we set ourselves high standards of train punctuality and make every effort to get passengers to their destination on time.
The table below shows our performance relating to delays from the start of Period 01 (01/04/24) 2024/25 to the end of Period 13 (31/03/25) 2024/25.
| Performance area | Target | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| % of all trains arriving within 10 mins of their final destination | 83.1% | 79.9% |
| % of all trains delayed at their origin departure station | N/A | 16.2% |
| % of all trains delayed at their arrival destination station | N/A |
62.6% |
| % of all trains delayed at their arrival destination station by 60 - 119 minutes | N/A | 1% |
| % of all trains delayed at their arrival destination station by 120 minutes or more | N/A | 0.2% |
Where trains may be delayed or disrupted, we will make every effort to help customers. Detailed information on this can be found in our ‘Passenger Information During Disruption – Local Delivery Plan which can be found on our Refunds and Delay Repay webpage.
The 10 minute timescale is adhered to even if no new information has been received and the disruption has reached a steady state.
Information about connections and onward travel will be available from the On Board Manager. They will also make an announcement regarding whether compensation is applicable.
We will make every effort to give customers a refreshments (not including alcohol) appropriate to the circumstances, location and duration of the delay.
Where a delay or cancellation of a Hull Trains service means that you have missed the last connection of the day or that you will not reach your destination at a reasonable time, we will either arrange for transport back to where you started your journey (and then allow you to travel the next day) or to your destination. If this is not possible, we will provide overnight accommodation so that you can travel the next day. We will not pay for accommodation which has not been authorised by ourselves. If you decide not to travel as a result of a delay or cancellation of your service, and if we sold you the ticket, we will give you a full refund; otherwise, you should seek a refund from the point of purchase (unless this is the return portion of your ticket, in which case we will refund this).
When services are disrupted, we will aim to issue information through travel bulletins on local radio and television, and also through social media such as X. Live travel information is also available on our Live Disruption webpage.
For delays to our services we will make the following compensation available to customers:
All ticket holders may apply for compensation. The level of compensation is outlined below:
For journey delays* of between:
• 0-29 minutes’ delay: no compensation is due;
• 30-59 minutes’ delay: compensation of at least 50% of the cost of a single ticket or 50% of the relevant portion of a return ticket;
• 60 or more minutes’ delay: compensation of at least 100% of the cost of a single ticket or 100% of the relevant portion of a return ticket.
*A journey may include conveyance by other operators’ services or alternative transport as per our contingency plans where our services have been cancelled or delayed. These plans are advertised through the Live Disruption section of our website.
• 30-59 minutes’ delay: compensation of at least 50% of the cost of a single ticket or 50% of the relevant portion of a return ticket;
• 60 or more minutes’ delay: compensation of at least 100% of the cost of a single ticket or 100% of the relevant portion of a return ticket.
To apply for Delay Repay compensation please visit our online Delay Repay webpage or collect a form from one of the stations at which we call.
To apply for a refund, customers should go back to their point of purchase to obtain this. If you bought through the Hull Trains website, app or via our Passenger Assist Telesales team, please visit our Refund webpage.
3. Cancellation of 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.The table below shows our performance relating to cancellations from the start of Period 1 (01/04/24) 2024/25 to the end of Period 13 (31/03/25) 2024/25. We improved performance relating to cancellations compared to the previous year, despite some significant disruptions.
| Performance area | Target (all services) | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| % of all trains cancelled which were due to run | 1.1% | 1.9% |
4. Cleanliness of rolling stock and station facilities
Train Cleaning and Cleaning IntervalsOur trains are cleaned after each commercial service and we also undertake periodic deep cleaning operations. On all services we have in journey cleaners that focus on maintaining the overall level of cleanliness en-route.
All of our trains are equipped with air conditioning. Should this fail our On Board Manager will do everything they can to move customers to an alternative carriage.
Each of our 5 trains has 5 air condition units on board. Our performance for these in the 2024/25 financial year was:
| Performance area | Actual |
|---|---|
| Air con availability on board | 100% |
Availability of toilets
Our trains are fitted with 5 toilets, of which 2 are accessible toilets (1 in First Class and 1 in Standard Class). Our performance for the 2024/25 financial year was:
| Performance area | Actual |
|---|---|
| Toilet availability on board | 100% |
5. Customer satisfaction surveying
We monitor customer satisfaction using information obtained through the Wavelength system operated by Great British Railways, noting that sample sizes do impact the ability for this to give us a true representation of our customers’ sentiments. In 2024 we commissioned our own research to understand current customer sentiment which found an overall satisfaction score of 96%, (often an industry leading score).In December 2025 the Institute of Customer Service undertook further customer satisfaction surveying, revealing an outstanding level of customer satisfaction when benchmarked against not just the rail industry, but wider transport service providers including rail, ferry and airline operators. Looking ahead to this year we are working with the Institute to gain accreditation to them which allows us to learn from them and grow our approach to customer service.
We also survey customers who have contacted us both pre and post journey using our contact centre, as well as operating a mystery shopping scheme.
6. Complaint handling refunds and compensation
Our Customer Services team is here to correspond with customers who are unhappy with their experience of the service that we provide. Appropriate compensation will be considered on a case by case basis.We will use the customer’s preferred contact method when responding to a complaint.
This team also responds in cases where customers praise our service and also passes on suggestions for changes to services as well as complaints and requests for compensation due to delays.
The number of complaints received from the start of Period 1 (01/04/24) 2024/25 to the end of Period 13 (31/03/25) 2024/25, was 1044. This represents a 31% decrease in customer complaints this year compared to the last, at a time when passenger journeys have grown by 8.7%. The hugely positive reduction has been based on an effective customer service strategy, targeting key pain points that passengers have mentioned previously.
The top 5 complaints categories from the start of Period 1 (01/04/24) 2024/25 to the end of Period 13 (31/03/25) 2024/25, are displayed in the table below:
| Complaint category | Number of complaints |
|---|---|
| Sufficient room for passengers to stand/sit | 279 |
| Punctuality/reliability |
119 |
| Facilities on board | 99 |
| Tickets and refunds policy | 94 |
| The helpfulness and attitude of staff on train | 64 |
Of the complaints received in the 2024/25 financial year:
• 88.9% were closed in 10 working days, against a target of 95%.
• 99.2% closure rate within 20 working days, against a target of 95%.
In response to the top 5 complaints from the previous year, we’ve undertaken a lot of work to try to reduce these and it should be noted that overall, we saw a huge 31% reduction in complaints year on year. This is testament to the skill and focus on customer service delivery throughout the year by our team and even more praiseworthy noting that our passenger numbers increased by 8.7% during the same period.
Noting the top 5 complaints above, we have listened to what our customers have said and have taken, as well as will be taking, several improvement actions.
Sufficient room for passengers to stand/sit
This category was our highest cause of complaint but has seen a reduction of one third compared to last year. Complaints were linked closely to disruptive events, as well as engineering works on the Midland Mainline. When these events occur, we see large numbers of customers choosing to use our services. Where the event is foreseen, we do pre-warn passengers that services are likely to be extremely busy using our social media channels, our website and the National Rail website. Ticket retailers now also display warning messages, so that passengers are made aware that it is likely they will have to stand for all or part of their journey. We never oversell a train as we restrict the number of seat reservations for sale and have carriage A in Standard Class designated as an unreserved carriage on each train. Passengers can still however buy non train specific tickets which then means that we do not know if they will board our train or not (hence the warning messages where we have advance notice of an event). We also use pricing to help make our less busy services more attractive to manage journey patterns. In Dec 2024 we introduced 10 carriage services on more of our trains to alleviate overcrowding on busy trains. We have also introduced a mandatory reservation requirement to our services, which in effect means that the train closes in retailing systems when it reaches capacity. This has been very successful and helped reduce complaints towards the latter half of the year. We have also continued to inform passengers about busy services using a variety of mediums. In addition, we have issued busy service ‘heat maps’ at weekends where most issues have been apparent, again to manage demand.
Our train fleet continues to be one of the most reliable of its class within the rail industry. Whilst this category has still attracted complaints, these are over a third less than last year. Unfortunately, our right time performance has declined compared to previous years, but our reliability remains strong, with less severe delays affecting passengers than previously. We have also reduced the number of cancellations where we caused the cancellation (i.e. due to a train fault) by 23%. There have been a number of events, from disruptive weather to infrastructure failures and other external forces, which have impacted on our ability to operate fully, but it should be noted that the root cause of performance failures are driven by external factors. Our Performance Team continue to work closely with Network Rail, the infrastructure provider, to highlight key areas of concern and to plan ahead to improve capacity constraints. We are also strongly advocating the electrification of the line between Templehirst Junction, (north of Doncaster) and Hull to take advantage of reduced air pollution, as well as quieter, most cost effective energy utilisation.
This category was our highest cause of complaint but has seen a reduction of one third compared to last year. Complaints were linked closely to disruptive events, as well as engineering works on the Midland Mainline. When these events occur, we see large numbers of customers choosing to use our services. Where the event is foreseen, we do pre-warn passengers that services are likely to be extremely busy using our social media channels, our website and the National Rail website. Ticket retailers now also display warning messages, so that passengers are made aware that it is likely they will have to stand for all or part of their journey. We never oversell a train as we restrict the number of seat reservations for sale and have carriage A in Standard Class designated as an unreserved carriage on each train. Passengers can still however buy non train specific tickets which then means that we do not know if they will board our train or not (hence the warning messages where we have advance notice of an event). We also use pricing to help make our less busy services more attractive to manage journey patterns. In Dec 2024 we introduced 10 carriage services on more of our trains to alleviate overcrowding on busy trains. We have also introduced a mandatory reservation requirement to our services, which in effect means that the train closes in retailing systems when it reaches capacity. This has been very successful and helped reduce complaints towards the latter half of the year. We have also continued to inform passengers about busy services using a variety of mediums. In addition, we have issued busy service ‘heat maps’ at weekends where most issues have been apparent, again to manage demand.
Punctuality/Reliability
Facilities on board
Complaints in this category have been driven by short notice sickness for catering services in Standard Class since we brought this back in late 2023. Other reasons for complaint related to catering provided in First Class. We have made recent changes to this to address these concerns around our breakfast offer and some availability issues.
Ticket and refund policy
Whilst this category is still in our top 5 complaints, compared to the previous year these have decreased by over 55%. Last year we reviewed our ticket refund process site and made some changes to make it clearer when we can accept a refund. We have also corrected a long standing issue with our refund merchant whereby we were previously experiencing a large proportion of refund card payment failures. This resulted in us having to pay by cheque, inconveniencing customers and extending repayment times. The resolution has meant that a customer’s payment is returned to their card in the vast majority of instances. Looking ahead, we are moving to a new ticket retailing system in the year ahead with improved card processing and refund abilities.
Ticket and refund policy
Whilst this category is still in our top 5 complaints, compared to the previous year these have decreased by over 55%. Last year we reviewed our ticket refund process site and made some changes to make it clearer when we can accept a refund. We have also corrected a long standing issue with our refund merchant whereby we were previously experiencing a large proportion of refund card payment failures. This resulted in us having to pay by cheque, inconveniencing customers and extending repayment times. The resolution has meant that a customer’s payment is returned to their card in the vast majority of instances. Looking ahead, we are moving to a new ticket retailing system in the year ahead with improved card processing and refund abilities.
The helpfulness and attitude of the staff on the train
For complaints relating to ‘The helpfulness and attitude of the staff on the train’, whilst this was our fifth highest category over the past year, these figures were down 314% year on year. Key drivers of complaint were around ticketing issues on board and adherence to these by our on board team. We do investigate every single staff complaint to understand if there is something that we can do better in future to improve our response to customers. Our frontline colleagues are also empowered to deal with many issues at the time to help reduce the need for the customer to make a further complaint.
For complaints relating to ‘The helpfulness and attitude of the staff on the train’, whilst this was our fifth highest category over the past year, these figures were down 314% year on year. Key drivers of complaint were around ticketing issues on board and adherence to these by our on board team. We do investigate every single staff complaint to understand if there is something that we can do better in future to improve our response to customers. Our frontline colleagues are also empowered to deal with many issues at the time to help reduce the need for the customer to make a further complaint.
We are continuously reviewing key areas of concern voiced by our passengers and this drives investment for improvement as part of our ongoing business planning process.
7. Assistance
There are 2 options for booking assistance:You can book assistance by either using the online booking form on our Passenger Assist webpage, or by calling our dedicated Passenger Assist line on 0800 316 1323, available 24/7 except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
For the most effective service, we recommend booking and reserving assistance (by the online booking form or phone) 2 hours before you travel.
Customers who are deaf or hard of hearing can use the Text Relay service by adding the prefix 18001 in front of the Passenger Assist line 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
If pre booking 2 hours in advance is not possible, we ask our customers to arrive at least 20 minutes before departure – this is a non-guaranteed assistance booking.
Comprehensive information about the assistance services we provide and what to expect when travelling with us can be found on our Passenger Assist webpage in our Accessible Travel Policy Passenger Leaflet: Making Rail Accessible.
In the 2024/25 financial year we carried out approximately 3716 booked assistances and 1023 unbooked assistances for passengers.
Passenger Information During Disruption
Our Disruption Plan
Along with other UK train operators, we follow the Passenger Information During Disruption (PIDD) principles which is a national initiative used to ensure a consistent approach to providing information during service disruption.
Visit our Customer Information Pledges webpage for details on what you can expect from us during disruption.
