Performance monitoring
A key function of the Public Transport Division is to monitor the performance of contracted train, tram and bus operators throughout Victoria to ensure that the services they deliver meet community needs and expectations.
Information on this page
Which operators are monitored
The Public Transport Division monitors the performance of all public transport operators who are contracted by the Government to provide regular services to the community. These include:
- the metropolitan train operator (Connex)
- the metropolitan tram operator (Yarra Trams)
- the country train operator (V/Line Passenger)
- metropolitan and regional route bus services.
The services are monitored against targets for performance delivery, particularly in relation to the punctuality and reliability of the services.
Customer satisfaction surveys are also conducted.
Train and tram franchise contracts also contain performance requirements for minimising graffiti, keeping facilities and vehicles clean, complaints-handling processes, providing lighting and security, and providing information about services and facilities.
Performance targets and service standards
In order to assess the performance of public transport operators, the Government's transport contracts include targets for performance delivery and standards for customer service.
The targets generally relate to:
- Punctuality - measured as a percentage of the services arriving on time at specified monitoring points.
- Reliability - measured as a proportion of the timetabled train or tram services that have run.
Customer service standards are set out in
Customer Service Charters. These include conditions under which passengers may be compensated if service levels fall below the standards in the charters. The service standards in the charters that are used to calculate compensation may differ from the performance targets outlined in the franchise contracts.
The contract performance standards for various modes of transport are:
Metropolitan trains
Connex Trains is required to:
- deliver 98 per cent of train kilometres each month
- ensure that 92 per cent of services arrive at their destination no later than five minutes and 59 seconds after the timetabled arrival time.
As part of its contract, Connex has a target for improving its operational performance by 36 per cent from July 2005 when compared with the 1998 benchmark.
Regional trains
V/Line Passenger rail services is required to:
- deliver 96 per cent of train kilometres each quarter
- ensure that 92 per cent of services arrive at their destination no later than five minutes and 59 seconds after the timetabled arrival time for short distance services and ten minutes and 59 seconds after the timetabled arrival time for long distance services.
Metropolitan trams
The delivery of tram services in Melbourne can be significantly affected by road traffic. Therefore, punctuality of trams is measured as an average of the performance at three of five monitoring points along the route. The performance standards for Yarra Trams are that:
- the average punctuality of services is better than 80 per cent
- reliability, in terms of kilometres of services delivered, is 95 per cent.
As part of its contract, Yarra Trams has a target for improving its operational performance by 31 per cent from July 2005 when compared with the 1998 benchmark.
Metropolitan and regional buses
Operators of regular passenger services in Melbourne and regional areas are required to ensure that:
- no timetabled bus services operate early at any point on their routes
- no more than five per cent of all services provided on any day or 10 per cent of services provided on any route of any day will operate more than five minutes late at any point on the timetable
- 99 per cent of all scheduled services on any day operate and are completed.
How operators' performance is monitored
The method for monitoring the performance of public transport operators depends on the mode of transport. The monitoring processes are:
Trains
Metropolitan and regional train operators manually record train arrival times and cancellations and forward these details to the Public Transport Division. This process is supported by independent sample surveys undertaken by the Public Transport Division to ensure the information supplied is accurate.
Trams
An automatic monitoring system is in place for metropolitan tram services. Monitoring points are located along every tram route and, whenever a tram passes this point, electronic information is sent to a central database. The information is then forwarded by the transport company to the Public Transport Division for analysis to determine whether the service was running on time or had been delayed, cancelled or subject to other service failures.
Buses
Bus operators in Melbourne are required to keep records of the punctuality and reliability of at least five per cent of their timetabled services. These records are then forwarded to the Public Transport Division each month.
The Public Transport Division monitors regular passenger services in metropolitan and regional areas through an ongoing program of random audits of services to ensure they comply with performance targets and service standards.
Customer satisfaction surveys
In addition to monitoring operators' punctuality and reliability, the Public Transport Division commissions monthly customer satisfaction surveys. The results of these surveys are published in
Track Record.
Both users and non-users of public transport are surveyed to measure whether operators are providing the quality of service the community expects. A sample of people is randomly selected from the telephone directory in areas where train, tram, bus and regional coach services operate and interviews are conducted over the telephone.
Interviewees are asked to indicate their usual public transport usage and to rate a number of aspects relating to public transport services according to whether they are satisfied or dissatisfied with the service. Responses are further categorised by whether the respondent is totally, very or somewhat satisfied or dissatisfied with the service.
The survey includes questions about:
- service delivery
- railway stations or tram or bus stops
- passenger comfort
- ticketing
- information services (including timetables)
- personal safety
- value for money
- staff service.
From April 2009 onwards, customers provided ratings using a 0 to 10 scale where 0 represented 'extremely dissatisfied' and 10 represented 'extremely satisfied'. Note that overall satisfaction questions continued to be asked using the old scale to facilitate comparisons over time.
Survey results are compiled into quarterly Customer Satisfaction Indexes using the scale of six possible responses, allowing comparisons between the different modes, operators and aspects of service delivery. Differences between metropolitan and V/Line Passenger services should be taken into account when making such comparisons. These differences include factors such as the purpose and distance of travel, and the types of services offered.
Operational Performance Regime
As part of their contracts, train and tram operators have the opportunity to obtain incentive payments for exceeding performance targets and can incur penalties for below target performance. The system by which these payments are calculated is known as the Operational Performance Regime (OPR).
The results of performance monitoring are recorded by the Public Transport Division. All disruptions to services are given a 'weighting' based on the number of passengers using a particular train or tram service. The 'weighting' depends on the time of day, day of the week and direction of travel. For example, the 'weighting' given to delays recorded during a crowded peak hour service is different to that of a less-occupied service during an off-peak period. Passenger 'weightings' are revised every three years.
The end result is a technical measure of operational performance. The information is compiled for each month and compared against the targets included in the contracts. If the operator improved the service by more than the target level, it receives an incentive payment. If the operator fails to meet the target, it is liable for a financial penalty.
An interim OPR arrangement applied for V/Line Passenger from 1 July 2005 until 31 August 2006 as a result of service disruptions associated with works for the
Regional Fast Rail and
Southern Cross Station projects. OPR incentive payments applied to cancellations and short-run services only during this period. OPR incentive payments resumed for delays and early departures on 1 September 2006 following the end of these project disruptions.
In recognition that V/Line Passenger has started operating extra and extended weekly services on significantly updated rail infrastructure as part of a new timetable, OPR incentive payments for V/Line Passenger are being presently determined at a reduced payment rate. The reduced rate is currently around 25% of the previous rate and will be periodically increased to the full rate.
Reporting on operators’ performance
The Public Transport Division publishes the quarterly
Track Record bulletin to report on the performance results for metropolitan train and tram, metropolitan bus operators and regional train operator V/Line Passenger.
Line by line performance information for train and tram operators is also published in a monthly
Track Record bulletin.