Trainsplit survey

[deltic]

Help us improve rail travel by taking our quick survey! Your feedback will highlight the need for affordable ticket options. Plus, enter for a chance to win £50 off your next journey (valid for up to 2 transactions)! Draw in mid-December. https://horizons.confirmit.eu/wix/p705659607224.aspx

Trainsplit is undertaking a survey of rail users which forum members might be interested in

(Forum team edit to remove shortcode link and add direct survey link in its place)

 

[30907]

For a quick survey it is too long, and slow to respond on my Android tablet. I have given up

 

[WolvertonWorks]

Very badly written - it offers a drop down list for the first letters of one's postcode - mine is near the middle of the alphabet and I gave up and selected "not shown" as I couldn't be bothered to keep clicking through. They should have asked for the info to be typed.

Also, something which immediately puts me off surveys - they have used the phrase "brought a ticket" rather than "bought a ticket".

Not impressed!

 

[fairlie]

I've done it but found it quite annoying that it seemed constantly to be trying to direct you towards saying you'd choose different days, times and destinations to save money. Most of my train journeys are to somewhere particular for a particular reason, so no I can't decide to go somewhere else on a different day!

 

[Iggy12a]

Very badly written - it offers a drop down list for the first letters of one's postcode - mine is near the middle of the alphabet and I gave up and selected "not shown" as I couldn't be bothered to keep clicking through. They should have asked for the info to be typed.

Also, something which immediately puts me off surveys - they have used the phrase "brought a ticket" rather than "bought a ticket".

Not impressed!

I too was getting annoyed as my POxx postcode would have taken multiple clicks to reach, but then I saw there was a search field at the top of the screen, so I could type in my post code, and it was immediately displayed.

 

[WolvertonWorks]

I've done it but found it quite annoying that it seemed constantly to be trying to direct you towards saying you'd choose different days, times and destinations to save money. Most of my train journeys are to somewhere particular for a particular reason, so no I can't decide to go somewhere else on a different day!

Yes and it also kept offering me journeys starting and ending PM when my imaginary journey started and ended AM - if I'm going somewhere I want to go in the morning.

If someone wants to go somewhere specific on a Friday morning they are unlikely to accept somewhere else on a Thursday afternoon, even if it is tons cheaper.

Now maybe I would look at a different week if the cost made that attractive but not a different time of day or place.

 

[jfollows]

I too was getting annoyed as my POxx postcode would have taken multiple clicks to reach, but then I saw there was a search field at the top of the screen, so I could type in my post code, and it was immediately displayed.

I had exactly the same thought process for my SK9 postcode, then I saw the search thing…. not intuitive.

 

[KeithMcC]

Not intuitive at all and I have no idea what asking about endless potential journeys was intended to achieve. I gave trying to complete such a badly designed survey.

 

[Puffing Devil]

I've done it but found it quite annoying that it seemed constantly to be trying to direct you towards saying you'd choose different days, times and destinations to save money. Most of my train journeys are to somewhere particular for a particular reason, so no I can't decide to go somewhere else on a different day!

I abandoned the survey there - it seemed to be stuck in an infinite loop of continually changing options, none of which worked for me.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

If Trainsplit itself was as bad as this survey it would have gone out of business.

 

[deltic]

I've done it but found it quite annoying that it seemed constantly to be trying to direct you towards saying you'd choose different days, times and destinations to save money. Most of my train journeys are to somewhere particular for a particular reason, so no I can't decide to go somewhere else on a different day!

That would seem to the purpose of the survey, it is working out how many are prepared/able to change dates/time/destination and how many aren't

If Trainsplit itself was as bad as this survey it would have gone out of business.

Going by the messages with it, the survey is done by a specialist market research company -- Verian

 

[Starmill]

I wasn't able to complete the survey. I clicked on it via the email I received and got about half way but it crashed and hasn't saved my progress.

 

[trainophile]

I went into the usual app I use to book tickets on Trainsplit, and couldn't see the survey anywhere. So went in from the link on this thread and completed it. Was quite fun but I'm not sure how they are going to analyse my replies as it's all a bit random.

 

[miklcct]

I have completed it. A major shortcoming that is it doesn't give me an option of "choosing another cheaper train route" when the train ticket I want is too expensive.

 

[redreni]

Yeah the postcode thing will skew the response rate as people with postcodes at the end of the alphabet would have to invest several minutes clicking through.

I did complete it. When it asks you to select courses of action from what you'd be most to least likely to do if looking to book a journey a long time in advance if the fares are very high, there's no option to wait and see if the price will come down. I take it it's implicit that if you choose "drive" or "do not travel" then you might be tempted by a lower price later on. Some of us do quite deliberately wait, however, until the standard booking horizon comes along when some TOCs (LNER) tend to cut the price of Advances.

If you have a full driving license and exclusive access to a car, you can do this with no real risk since if reasonably-priced train tickets don't materialise, you can still go to wherever you wish to go without paying an absurd amount of money.

 

[Starmill]

Yeah the postcode thing will skew the response rate as people with postcodes at the end of the alphabet would have to invest several minutes clicking through.

I did complete it. When it asks you to select courses of action from what you'd be most to least likely to do if looking to book a journey a long time in advance if the fares are very high, there's no option to wait and see if the price will come down. I take it it's implicit that if you choose "drive" or "do not travel" then you might be tempted by a lower price later on. Some of us do quite deliberately wait, however, until the standard booking horizon comes along when some TOCs (LNER) tend to cut the price of Advances.

If you have a full driving license and exclusive access to a car, you can do this with no real risk since if reasonably-priced train tickets don't materialise, you can still go to wherever you wish to go without paying an absurd amount of money.

It allowed me to type in the incode part of my postcode then select from the list, so this particular bit didn't trip me. I still didn't get far beyond it though.

I went into the usual app I use to book tickets on Trainsplit, and couldn't see the survey anywhere. So went in from the link on this thread and completed it. Was quite fun but I'm not sure how they are going to analyse my replies as it's all a bit random.

You were probably emailed it, if you allowed marketing email.

 

[railfleet]

I found it a bit misleading over price - It asked if I had a railcard, which I don't - but fortunately(?) my partner benefits from a disabled railcard, so as we would normally travel together for leisure....

 

[sheff1]

I have no idea what asking about endless potential journeys was intended to achieve. I gave trying to complete such a badly designed survey.

Same here, gave up when I got to that point. If I want to go somewhere, that is what I would search for. For the vast majority of trips I would not know where I am going until a day or so before, or even the day itself.

 

[Alfonso]

Getting rid of the postcode buttons and just having the free text box would make it a lot more obvious, and having some acknowledgement that you'd input data in the interminable options would be useful. First time I had a go I thought it was stuck before I realised the options were changing. Trainsplit us great, this survey isnt

 

[cav1975]

I was stunned at the exhorbitant rail fares quoted for the supposed leisure destinations and ticked "Do Not Travel" for all. At these prices it would be much cheaper to travel by car, even allowing for depreciation and other non-fuel costs.

 

[nwales58]

Deleted: pointless wibble.

Trivial other thought: 'Where do you buy tickets' does not include 'on the train'. In some parts of the country that is still the default (no ticket offices or machines).

 

[mikeg]

I've done the survey. Whilst the postcode thingy was counter-intuitive as some said, it did let me type in the first bit and then select it.

 

[Mike@Raileasy]

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey. The survey was "coded" by Verian, a market research company, and designed by Jacobs who have historically done extensive franchise work for TOCs and the DfT, including demand forecasting. Our goal is to estimate potential revenue growth if we and other retailers gain access to an availability feed from RARS - ADS - the development of which will be funded by the IRR.

Among other things this access would allow us to display a week's worth of availability, or a month's, instead of just a few services, making it easier for customers with flexible travel plans to find quieter and cheaper options. Filling empty seats is a key objective of the Fares, Ticketing, and Retail Reform programme which access to ADS will undoubtedly support. This survey aims to quantify the potential revenue uplift.

Additionally, ADS will reduce the need for new "retailing" functionality and the load on RARS, making further upgrades like the recent AWS implementation unnecessary, thereby saving money. The results will be available in January.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The results will be available in January.

Good luck with interpreting the data. A poorly structured survey will often lead to unreliable biased feedback and inaccurate, skewed results. The devil's in all the detail!

 

[Mike@Raileasy]

Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of our data has always been the primary objective. We are confident that the survey is well structured to avoid unreliable, biased feedback and inaccurate results. I'm sure the team will be very aware of the points you make as they analyze the data to ensure the interpretations are correct.

 

[nwales58]

Our goal is to estimate potential revenue growth if we and other retailers gain access to an availability feed from RARS ...

Additionally, ADS will reduce the need for new "retailing" functionality and the load on RARS ...

That makes more sense now (I was thinking of logit demand model fitting). One of my thoughts was that 'compare the market' would lead to a many times increase in query load whereas this is the opposite. However, Stated Preference often leads you into a can of worms and regret in what I used to do.

 

[mad_rich]

If someone wants to go somewhere specific on a Friday morning they are unlikely to accept somewhere else on a Thursday afternoon, even if it is tons cheaper.

Now maybe I would look at a different week if the cost made that attractive but not a different time of day or place.

I certainly would. Many of my journeys are flexible enough that I could happily rearrange some elements of it to fit around cheaper fares. Especially where my accommodation is friends & family.

Others, like you, might want to do the same journey, same days of the week and times, but could happily do a different week.

Others, like the survey seems to be suggesting, might not really care where they go, but want a weekend away. They would be quite happy to change destination completely - not something that would be relevant for me.

I'm not sure the survey, as written, can capture all those ideas when it doesn't know why we're taking that specific journey? If I'm visiting friends in the Lake District next weekend, a 4 night stay in Shoeburyness in three weeks time isn't likely to appeal!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have completed it. A major shortcoming that is it doesn't give me an option of "choosing another cheaper train route" when the train ticket I want is too expensive.

Does it offer "choosing the car"? I'm generally not at all time flexible, so if the train I want is too expensive (e.g. all LNER services, particularly the fare increase trial routes) that's what happens.

 

[miklcct]

Does it offer "choosing the car"? I'm generally not at all time flexible, so if the train I want is too expensive (e.g. all LNER services, particularly the fare increase trial routes) that's what happens.

Yes. It offers that option which I ranked the last. A private car is luxury which is never under consideration if you want to save money.

 

[Mike@Raileasy]

Now maybe I would look at a different week if the cost made that attractive but not a different time of day or place.

So for instance a month's view of availability would suit you? Precisely the kind of thing ADS will enable inc accurate data.