OPERATIONS
THE RAIL OMBUDSMAN
Paul Bickerdyke visits the headquarters of the Rail Ombudsman in Stevenage to find out more about its role in dispute resolution.
AN ordinary-looking office block a few minutes’ walk to the west of Stevenage station is home to the Rail Ombudsman, an organisation you may have heard about but perhaps not know what it actually does.
The principal function of the Ombudsman is to help resolve disputes between passengers and train operators – the main point being it is neither a consumer champion nor industry representative, but a neutral body sitting in between to help out when the front line channels of resolution have ground to a halt.
The scheme is relatively new, being pledged in the Conservative Party’s 2017 election manifesto following campaigns from the likes of the Which? organisation. A contract was awarded in July 2018, after which all train operators were visited and scheme documentation drawn up. Following a period of system testing and staff training, the Ombudsman went live at the end of November 2018.