No Booking Fees
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
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 2025/2026. 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.
Rail Passenger Rights and Obligations Regulations – Article 28
Hull Trains Quality Standards – Rail Service Quality Report for Financial Year 2025/26
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 (01/04/25) 2024/25 to the end of Period 13 (31/03/26) 2025/26.
| Performance area | Target | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| % of all trains arriving within 10 mins of their final destination | 81.3% | 80.5% |
| % of all trains delayed at their origin departure station | N/A | 15.6% |
| % of all trains delayed at their arrival destination station | N/A |
65.9% |
| % of all trains delayed at their arrival destination station by 60 - 119 minutes | N/A | 0.7% |
| % of all trains delayed at their arrival destination station by 120 minutes or more | N/A | 0.1% |
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 advise you and provide overnight accommodation, or you may arrange this and claim the cost back from us 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 or you abandon you journey and return to your origin station, 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 (01/04/25) 2025/26 to the end of Period 13 (31/03/26) 2025/26. 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 | 2.3% | 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 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 2025/26 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 2025/26 financial year was:
| Performance area | Actual |
|---|---|
| Toilet availability on board | 100% |
5. Customer satisfaction surveying
We monitor customer satisfaction using information obtained through the Rail Customer Experience Survey (RCXS)operated by Great British Railways. The RCXS commenced in Autumn 2025, so we are awaiting confirmation of the 6 monthly results summary to be published on June 18th 2026 and will share this information here. To date, periodic scores have been extremely favourable for Hull Trains, with scores leading the industry for customer satisfaction.In 2025 following internal surveying, and combined with customer satisfaction surveying undertaken in December 2024, we were proudly awarded the Institute of Customer Service’s ServiceMark accreditation. The accreditations is awarded to organisations recognising an organisation’s commitment to customer service and to upholding high standards as part of a long-term embedded strategy. Looking ahead to this year we are working with the Institute to hopefully renew this accreditation and are proud to have recently signed up to a further 5 year membership with them, helping us remain at the forefront of customer service delivery.
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 (01/04/25) 2025/26 to the end of Period 13 (31/03/26) 2025/26, was 1391. This represents a 25% increase in customer complaints this year compared to the last, at a time when passenger journeys have grown by 1%. The increase has been driven by Industrial Action earlier in the year and also changes to our website booking engine at the end of the year.
The top 5 complaints categories from the start of Period 1 (01/04/25) 2025/26 to the end of Period 13 (31/03/25) 2025/26, are displayed in the table below:
| Complaint category | Number of complaints |
|---|---|
| Punctuality/reliability | 379 |
| Sufficient room for passengers to stand/sit |
221 |
| Tickets and refunds policy | 107 |
| Facilities on board | 84 |
| The helpfulness and attitude of staff on train | 64 |
Of the complaints received in the 2025/26 financial year:
• 70.5% were closed in 10 working days, against a target of 95%.
• 98.3% 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 work to try to reduce these, noting however that the Industrial Action at the start of the year did impact a lot of customers.
Having reviewed the top 5 complaints above, we are focusing on what we can do to assist our customers, including undertaking several improvement actions.
Punctuality/Reliability
Our train fleet continues to be one of the most reliable of its class within the rail industry through the focused attention of our Fleet team and our train maintainer, Hitachi. The number of complaints in this category increased by over a third compared to last year, with the bulk being in the first four periods and driven primarily by the Industrial Action. Our right time performance has improved compared to previous years and our reliability remains strong, with less severe delays affecting passengers than previously. 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.
Complaints were linked closely to disruptive events, as well as engineering works on the Midland Mainline and big events on our route. 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 part of 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. Where possible, for pre-planned events we use 10 carriage services on our trains to alleviate overcrowding on busy trains. We have also have a mandatory reservation requirement on 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 relating to capacity. 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 through the focused attention of our Fleet team and our train maintainer, Hitachi. The number of complaints in this category increased by over a third compared to last year, with the bulk being in the first four periods and driven primarily by the Industrial Action. Our right time performance has improved compared to previous years and our reliability remains strong, with less severe delays affecting passengers than previously. 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.
Sufficient room for passengers to stand/sit
Ticket and refund policy
This category has moved up from fourth place in the ranking in our top 5 complaints compared to the previous year with an 8% increase in complaints. Feedback has related to refunds being refused due to lack of information provided or refunds being claimed instead of Delay Repay, so we have refined terminology on our website to clarify the difference between the two and what we need for refund claims. We have also had some negative feedback around the changeover to our new website and the impact that this had for some customers. It is anticipated that the new booking engine will be much better for customers and complaints relating to this should reduce.
Facilities on board
Complaints in this category have been driven by short notice sickness for catering services, however we have been recruiting on a regular basis and maintaining a ‘talent pool’ so that we can bring in new team members more quickly than previously, hence the reduction in complaints by 11% year on year.. Other reasons for complaint related to catering provided in First Class where we have made changes to improve some availability issues.
The helpfulness and attitude of the staff on the train
Complaints relating to ‘The helpfulness and attitude of the staff on the train’, have remained static year on year. Key drivers of complaint included ticketing issues on board and adherence to terms and conditions by our on board team, as well as resolution of immediate issues. 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, working with colleagues to support how they can assist customers. Our frontline colleagues are empowered to deal with many issues at the time to help reduce the need for the customer to make a further complaint.
Complaints relating to ‘The helpfulness and attitude of the staff on the train’, have remained static year on year. Key drivers of complaint included ticketing issues on board and adherence to terms and conditions by our on board team, as well as resolution of immediate issues. 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, working with colleagues to support how they can assist customers. Our frontline colleagues are 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 3 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. Alternatively you can contact us using WhatsApp on 07816123149 and our team will take details of your assistance request so our Passenger Assist team can confirm them.
For the most effective service, we recommend booking and reserving assistance 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 2025/26 financial year our teams carried out approximately 3671 booked assistances and 1103 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.
