First Capital Connect: Your Ideas

We want to make your experience with First Capital Connect better. And we know you’ve got some great ideas. Let us know what we can improve and how we should do it. Check out other people’s ideas and vote for your favourites. We aim to respond to most comments within five working days.

How can we improve your journeys with First Capital Connect?

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    1. Make a compensation app avaiable so that, once registered, we only have to press one or two buttons to make a claim.

      The app will know where customers are because of GPS so will give them the (hopefully correct) option on screen of what late-running train they have just left. At a touch of a button, the passenger will be able to confirm. If the correct option does not appear the user will have the opportunity to manually input the details.The lateness of the train will, of course, be recorded centrally so the user won't have to enter those sorts of details. The app could record all claims made by each individual and the result and would make information on claims on… more

      107 votes
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      • Tickets that dont de-magnetise. Educate your staff that issuing a replacement is a customer service and not to be treated as scam prevention

        Sell tickets that dont de-magnetise so easily and then fail at the gates. If you cant do this then at least educate your staff that issuing a replacement ticket is a customer service and not to treat the customer as if they are running some kind of ticket scam!

        23 votes
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          Hi Neil,

          Thanks for your suggestion.

          I can see where you’re coming from on the season tickets. Paper tickets are a Rail Industry standard, and they need to be changed nationally. I know that this is something that is being looked into.

          If you do have any problems with staff then please let us know via our Customer Relations team who can be contacted on 08450264700 or via Twitter @Firstcc.

          If you have any further ideas or suggestions, please feel free to leave them on this site.

        • Enclosed waiting rooms at Leagrave

          Now that ticket barriers have been installed in the old ticket office / waiting room, we have to wait for the delayed trains on a cold wind swept platform. The only shelter on the platform is open fronted, and just as cold.

          17 votes
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          • Better training for your customer facing staff

            It would be great if you could improve customer service at your stations. On many occasions when passing through City Thameslink I am confronted by a female member of staff that kisses her lips, gives it a tut when i have to be let through the barrier because my ticket doesn't work. When I go through Luto Airport Parkway the customer service is much better!

            12 votes
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              Hi there, thanks for your suggestion.

              All of our customer facing staff receive all sorts of different training; from general customer service to an NVQ level to more in-depth training to avoid conflict, disruption management etc. Our Revenue staff receive behavioural training that’s separately rolled out to them.

              We do realise however that there are some staff that need extra coaching and we are in the process of rolling out a whole suite of Customer Service training for them, where we have appointed NVQ trainers assisting with the roll out of this.

              It sounds like you have encountered a couple of members of staff that really are not promoting FCC in the best light, and I can completely see where you’re coming from. I have taken this up with the manager at City Thameslink, as there is absolutely no need whatsoever for staff to be rude to you, it’s completely… more

            • Build a new canopy on P3/4 at Biggleswade to save everyone getting soaked!

              Now that the old (inadequate and scarily unstable) shelter has mysteriously vanished from P3/4 perhaps it's time for you to rebuild a canopy on this platform? It used to have one before BR demolished it..! Whilst discussing Biggleswade, some extra benches would also be helpful - most of them seem to have vanished in the last four or so years!

              11 votes
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                Hi there and thank you for your suggestion.

                I’m passing this on to our Properly team and will get this looked into for you.

                Thanks again, and if you have any further ideas, please feel free to leave them on this site.

              • Improve Platform Lengths on the GN North

                I regulary commute between Watlington and Kings Cross and have found over the last months that train services are really operating at their peak. By Ely there is standing room only! Would it not be wise therefore to lengthen the Platforms at Watlington, Littleport and Waterbeach so that 8 car formations can be utilised? This would be focusing on the practical needs of the customer!

                10 votes
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                • Evening peak services

                  Could it not be suggested that an evening peak service was put in place for those commuters at kings lynn? A few years ago the 16:56 was re-timed to 16:37 leaving a gap in the evening service. In particular, the 17:37 is now an almost full four-car formation. Perhaps running a half hourly service between 16:00 to 18:37 would alleviate this problem??

                  9 votes
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                  • Fire some of the staff at Bedford station

                    The staff at Bedford station are rude, incompetent and superfluous to the running of the station. Save some money by getting rid of a few.

                    9 votes
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                      Hi Adam

                      Sorry to hear that about the staff at Bedford. We expect all of our staff to be courteous to our customers at all times.

                      If you do have any further problems with any of the team at the station, please call our customer relations department on 08450264700

                      Thanks very much for contacting us, and if you have any further ideas or suggestions, please feel free to leave them on this site.

                    • Litter Bins

                      Would it be possible to install some litter bins outside the front of Luton Airport Parkway station? Somewhere around the cash machines and where the customers wait for the shuttle bus to the airport? Everyday i walk round at about 730 and the litter is horrundos, but there is nowehere to put rubbish, so not surprised it ends up on the floor. Another suggestion is that the staff that stand outside checking tickets could pick up a broom and sweep up every houir or so.

                      7 votes
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                      • 'At my station' Facebook pages

                        There could be bespoke station Facebook pages where you’re able to find all the information about your station, including:

                        • Timetables
                        • Ticket office hours
                        • Facilities
                        • Local attractions and offers
                        • Connection maps
                        • Upcoming developments and improvements

                        You’d also have the opportunity to post ideas and suggestions for improvements, in addition to using it as a platform to communicate with fellow travellers.

                        Would this be something that interests you or do you have suggestions on what else could be included?

                        6 votes
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                          under review  ·  3 comments  ·  At the station  ·  Admin →
                        • Put up some large, clear NO SMOKING signs at Hendon Station. As it is unmanned most of the time people are always smoking on the platforms.

                          Smoking was banned years ago, if you won't staff the station properly so this can be picked up and eradicated then at least make it clear to people who do smoke that it's not allowed within the station. Hendon is very open air and people clearly don't realise it is a no smoking place. I see it happen at least once a week. The current tiny little signs are simply not good enough or visible enough to stop this.

                          4 votes
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                            Hi there, we are limited to how much space we have to put up big signage, as we have a franchise commitment with the Department for Transport on what signage we must have, having said that we do know that smoking is a problem at some of our stations that are not staffed all the time. let us have a look into this for you.

                          • Update signage at Essex road. Network South East ceased to exist nearly 20 years ago!

                            Update signage at Essex road. Network South East ceased to exist nearly 20 years ago!

                            4 votes
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                            • Luton Shuttle

                              Allow the Luton shuttle depart at times to get to the station to make the next train. At present it arrives at the station just as the train departs. Forcing passengers to wait for 20 to 30 minutes.

                              4 votes
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                              • Install width barriers at St Pancras before the escalators like you have at Luton Airport Parkway

                                Install width barriers before the escalators at St pancras as what you have at Luton Airport Parkway to stop people with over sized bags/objects from using the escalators as during rush hour this causes a potental accident waiting to happen when other passengers run down the escalators to catch there train at the last possible minute!

                                4 votes
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                                • Place high level indicators above station barriers

                                  The number of times I arrive at a very busy set of barriers and I cannot see which are green or red due to the high number of people passing through the station. By having a repeater indicator above the barrier it will aid passengers in identifier which gates are in use and stop them ambling around in front of gates no knowing where to go. This will also help passengers with suitcases and the like going to the wrong end of the barriers to use the wide gates. This happens all the time at the St Pancras, staff have… more

                                  4 votes
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                                    Hi there thanks for your suggestion.

                                    Good idea, I need to look into this a bit more, but I see where you’re coming from. Might be a bit tricky to implement but I will get back to you with an answer.

                                    Thanks again and if you have any further ideas, please feel free to leave them on this site.

                                  • Better communication at finsbury park re: Specific trains

                                    For the last 2 weeks, i've been getting the 16:59 FPK->CAM train which leaves from platform 3. However there is also a 16:59 FPK->WGC train on platform 5, and this is resulting in a lot of confusion, virtually every day I see people asking why the platform 3 train didnt stop at potters bar etc. Answer: They should have gone to platform 5!

                                    4 votes
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                                      Hi Dan

                                      We have had a chat with the station manager at Finsbury Park about making PA announcements for trains. If you find this isn’t happening just let us know via Twitter as I know we talk to you on there.

                                      If you have any further suggestions or ideas, please feel free to leave them on this site.

                                    • Lift at Hitchin station for disabled customers and woman with young babies in buggies

                                      Introduce a lift at Hitchin train station. My partner has a 7 week old baby and when she travels southbound she has to struggle to carry the pram down one flight of stairs and up another. Staff just watch her struggle with no help offered. Will it take a serious incident for this to have attention paid to it? I can not believe a station this busy has no lift. What would happen if a wheelchair wanted to tarvel to London? Are they not alowed to travel from Hitchin?

                                      3 votes
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                                        Hi there

                                        Thanks for your suggestion.

                                        First Capital Connect don’t own any stations we lease them from Network Rail, any accessibility improvements are decided by the Department for Transport and Network Rail, but we do work closely with them to make improvements to the stations we lease. The great news is that Hitchin has been selected for a lift and this work is being scoped out now.

                                        We do have a commitment to our disabled travellers and any customers in need of assistance, if they want to travel in our network we will provide staff to assist or alternative means of transport if there is no step free access. This can be done by calling 08009751052 and booking assistance.

                                        In regards to your partner travelling with a buggy, our staff will always assist. She just needs to ask them. Any problems then give our customer relations department a shout. customer.relations.fcc@firstgroup.com

                                        more

                                      • Sort out ticket barrier system at Blackfriars

                                        Sort out system at Blackfriars where we have to go through 2 ticket barriers just to change platforms. At the second barrier my season ticket is refused due to a claimed "timeing" problem. As this is a brand new station this basic design oversight is very disappointing.

                                        3 votes
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                                          Hi there,

                                          Thanks for your suggestion.

                                          This is a software issue within the gates and it’s on all gates at every station in the UK. It’s not a problem that can not be easily rectified as the timing error is in place to stop fraudulent use of tickets.

                                          We always have a member of staff there to open the gates for you.

                                          Sorry that we can not help you out on this occasion, and if you have any further ideas or suggestions please feel free to leave them on this site

                                        • Could The Automatic Departure Boards Be Fixed So They Are Displaying The Correct Information?

                                          I have noticed that at a few stations on your network your boards seem to have developed a fault.
                                          At Potters Bar during the Off - Peak for example your boards say the Peterborough trains go from Platform 3 and right at the very last minute, will announce a platform alteration and inform customers it actually goes from platform 4. This sounds like a fault in need of fixing to me.
                                          Also, friends that use Leagrave have told me they are experiencing a similar issue where the boards announce at the last minute a platform alteration causing a mad rush… more

                                          3 votes
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                                          • Provide information on tube services

                                            It would be helpful to have a screen or board at train stations outside London which shows all the time how the tubes are running and whether there are delays on the network. There did used to be screens but they rotated round a number of different displays. This would give people the latest information even if they didn't have a smart phone and would help them to know whether to leave the train at West Hampstead or Kentish Town or to continue to St Pancras.

                                            3 votes
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                                              Hi there,

                                              Thanks for your suggestion.

                                              We don’t usually put screens outside stations to be honest, and with information regarding London Underground there are lot’s of different tools that customers can use now to plan their journeys, that we would concentrate more on providing information about our train service on any screen we installed. So sorry this wouldn’t be something we would do within the reaming 2 years of our franchise.

                                              Thanks again though for your suggestion, and if you have any further ideas, please feel free to leave them on this site.

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