Standard deviation
Sir: I must take issue with Alistair Home's criticism of Eurostar (Disturbed by Eurostar', 12 December). Yes, we had a problem that resulted in a delay of three hours and 44 minutes to Mr Home's train from Paris to Waterloo. And yes, this caused delays to following Eurostar services for which we apologise unreservedly. Nobody would deny Mr Horne's right to criticise both the delay itself and, if appro- priate, the way in which it was handled. However, the unfavourable comparison he makes between Eurostar and its airline competitors is totally unjustified.
From January to July of this year 89 per cent of Eurostar services have arrived on time or within 15 minutes. The figure for airlines on these routes was just 69 per cent. Delays on the scale experienced by Alistair Home are very rare, with just three out of 17,700 Eurostar services delayed by over three hours since the beginning of this year. Despite this high standard of punctu- ality, no delay is acceptable to us or our customers and we continue to work hard to minimise them.
To clarify our position on compensation, complimentary taxi vouchers were issued at Waterloo to ensure our customers got to their destination although, inevitably, get- ting taxis can be a slow process for such a large number of people on a Sunday night. Eurostar also paid for hotel accommoda- tion where this was necessary. Passengers have been offered a complimentary vouch- er for a journey in addition to our standard policy of a full cash refund for the delayed journey. This policy does not require our customers to justify why they should be compensated. I challenge Mr Home to find any airline operating between Paris and London offering a similar compensation package.
The vast majority of our customers clear- ly do not share Alistair Home's views on the Eurostar onboard service. Over 97 per cent of those surveyed would .recommend Eurostar to a friend or colleague. Their support ensures that Eurostar is the clear leader of the London—Paris air/rail market. We are extremely sorry that we failed them on this occasion. Clearly their experience was nowhere near the standard that most of our customers receive. However, we feel strongly that your readers should have the means to make an informed choice and that balanced coverage will give them this opportunity.
Hamish W. Taylor
Eurostar (UK) Limited, Eurostar House, Waterloo Station, London SE1
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