Office of Rail and Road Extends Passenger Assist Research for Further Three Years, Doubles Sample Size
M·E·L Research Ltd is pleased to announce the extension of our collaboration with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for an additional three-year period to conduct ongoing research into the effectiveness of the Passenger Assist service. This service is essential for ensuring accessible rail travel for passengers with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or temporary health issues. The re-commission comes as the result of a formal public tendering process.
The ORR has re-commissioned M·E·L Research, and a team led day-to-day by Bronwyn Vermaat, to enhance the research scope significantly, aiming to deepen understanding and support of passengers’ needs. As part of this renewed commitment, M·E·L Research has pledged to once again increase the sample size achieved for the research, effectively doubling the data pool compared to figures prior to M·E·L Research’s involvement. 5,290 interviews were conducted in 2021-22, the last year with the previous supplier, rising to 8,163 the year after, and approximately 9,000 in 2023-24. The anticipated target for 2024-25 will be around 11,000 completes.
Methodological Advancements in Data Collection
The approach will include a blend of online surveys and telephone interviews to accommodate all participants’ preferences and ensure comprehensive coverage across various passenger experiences. The methodology is designed to capture detailed feedback on the assistance provided at different stations and during different journey segments, enhancing the granularity and usefulness of the data collected.
The increased sample size has allowed for a more granular analysis of interactions and experiences of booked passenger assists across different train operating companies.
M·E·L Research’s Commitment to Enhanced Insights
Elliot Simmonds, Account Director for ORR, commented on the re-commission:
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the ORR and to have the opportunity to contribute even more robustly to the enhancement of the Passenger Assist service. This is a testament to all of the hard work across all of our teams – research, CATI and our data team. By essentially doubling the sample size across our tenure, we aim refine the level of insight into passenger satisfaction available, and to identify potentially impactful changes from a robust base. Our hope is that this evidence helps empower the ORR to take action that will make rail travel more accessible for everyone.”
This project reflects M·E·L Research’s ongoing commitment to supporting accessible travel and providing the ORR with data-driven insights to facilitate continuous improvement in passenger services. For the first time, it is also intended that Train Operating companies will receive data on an on-going basis as part of the project outputs.
The project follows on from our successful contract extension from our work in to Complaints Handling among train operating companies, also commissioned by ORR.
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