Office for Statistics Regulation says biannual poll does not reflect people’s experience • Northern rail to be renationalisedA national survey of rail passengers that has guided UK decisions on rail franchising for two decades has been condemned in a highly critical report by the statistics regulator. The Office for Statistics Regulation said the national rail passenger survey (NRPS) was not yet fit to be designated as an official national statistic. Writing to the passenger watchdog, Transport Focus, which compiles the biannual survey, the regulator warned there was “a substantial risk of misinterpretation and misuse” of the statistics. The OSR’s director general, Ed Humpherson, said: “Statistics that inform and drive improvements across the rail network across Great Britain really matter and it is important that they are accurate, quality-assured and reflect the everyday experience of rail passengers. Smith said year-round polling would require approximately three times the £800,000 a year the survey receives from the Department for Transport.

Source: The Guardian January 26, 2020 18:11 UTC