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The Mobility and Transportation Authority (AMT) consulted the users of the railway system (operators, passengers and freight customers) and found that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the infrastructure and the transportation service provided.
In the case of operators, their dissatisfaction is fundamentally related to the “conditions and state of the road”, which they consider to be the most relevant factor for their activity and which will have worsened in the last two years (the survey was carried out in the third quarter 2019).
In the evaluation carried out on 16 lines of the national railway network, classified on a scale from 1 to 4, the Vouga and Cascais lines appear as those that cause the most discontent to operators, although in this case, operator should be read as the only CP operates on them. Both have 1 satisfaction point, followed by the North line, with 1.7, which is also used by the freight operators Medway and Takargo.
At the top of the list, with a score of 2.7, the Sintra and Cintura lines are the ones that provide the most satisfaction to rail transport companies. The Sintra line is used basically only by CP, the Cintura line is crossed by Fertagus, Medway and Takargo. The Sines and Vendas Novas lines follow with 2.5, which provide greater satisfaction to operators. Both are only used by freight trains.
According to AMT, “dissatisfaction with the route was transversal to all operators”, with CP and Fertagus penalizing the state of modernization of the network more and Medway and Takargo described as more negative “the insufficiency of maximum speeds and maximum loads at needs of the company, as well as the degree of availability of the security equipment ”.
The target of this discontent is Infraestructuras de Portugal, responsible for the rail network, which the operators also believe are paying dearly. The railway companies pay a “railway toll” for the use of the lines and AMT says that these highlight in negative “dissatisfaction with the rates, common to all operators.”
But the evaluation highlights positive aspects, such as capacity management, interaction and communication with IP, and traffic control.
Regarding security, there are worrisome comments from the four companies surveyed. The report says that “taking into account the deterioration of traffic conditions in numerous sections, and having identified the precursors of the accidents by the operators, these will not have been corrected by IP in the context of their maintenance function.” “Precursors” are events that, if not corrected, could result in an accident.
Missing user fees
AMT also sought to know the degree of satisfaction of the users of passenger rail services in suburban, long distance, regional and international services. The report says that inquiries were sent to seven user commissions, but none responded. Surveys were also sent to 46 consumer associations and associations representing people with disabilities or reduced mobility, the latter being the most proactive with seven completed surveys. Of the dozens of consumer associations, only Deco responded.
The regulator did not make direct inquiries or use the abundant information it obtains from the transport companies’ complaint books. Thus, the conclusions were influenced by the perception of users with disabilities or reduced mobility who showed their dissatisfaction with the conditions offered to them on the trains.
The report also mentions “a general feeling of dissatisfaction with all passenger rail services, especially regional services, with the exception of Alfa Pendular, which registered a satisfactory evaluation.”
On the positive side, the item “prices and purchase of securities” showed the highest level of satisfaction.
The regulator also asked companies that use rail freight services and associations that represent users and potential users of those services. And it found “a general feeling of dissatisfaction” with an emphasis on the high price and rigid loading and unloading schedules.
Punctuality, the protection of the goods and the duration of the transport stood out as a positive assessment.
