PR Week Echo Columns

Passengers wearing cattle masks and brandishing fake tickets in protest at First Great Western's "late, overcrowded and expensive train service" (Times, 28 Jan) dramatically highlighted the rail operator's reputation as the "worst train firm in Britain" (The Sun, 29 Jan). The event, organised by a group called More Train Less Strain at 20 stations in the West country, was described as "well-organised - in comparison to FGW's response" (Dickon Hooper, BBC News, 28 Jan). MTLS spokesman Peter Andrews described the action as "a lot of fuss, smoke and noise designed to make FGW realise the depth of feeling" (BBC News, 28 Jan), and called on transport secretary Ruth Kelly to help resolve the problems.
FGW's response was limited to insisting that fewer than 100 people out of 100,000 passengers using their 1,350 services had refused to pay fares. However, spokesman Andrew Griffith admitted "First Great Western accepts it has failed to deliver an appropriate level of service and is taking steps to improve its service and offer enhanced compensation" (Swindon Advertiser, 29 Jan). The compensation offer, which followed a recent national passenger satisfaction survey that put FGW at the bottom, was dismissed by MTLS as "a stunt to try to head off Monday's action" (Evening Standard, 29 Jan).