Which? launches campaign taking the industry to task on unacceptable services

The survey of over 2,000 commuter experiences found:

â—     Southern achieved a dismal score of just 21%. One year ago it had an overall customer score of 44%.

â—     Southern received just one-star ratings for punctuality, reliability, seat availability, frequency and value for money, with almost half (46%) of those surveyed reporting that their last journey was delayed. At two stars, the highest mark it received was for the availability and cleanliness of its toilets and general condition of the carriages.

â—     Southeastern was second from bottom with a rating of just 31%. They scored one-star for seat availability.

â—     Thameslink and Great Northern came third from the bottom with 32%, scoring one-star for frequency and the condition of their carriages.

â—     At the top of the table, five-star ratings for reliability and frequency helped put Merseyrail into first place with a customer score of 72%.

â—     Virgin Trains West Coast came second with a five-star rating for reliability.

â—     East Midland Trains is placed third with four-star scores for punctuality, reliability and frequency.

With passengers enduring a winter of misery on the railways, Which? is today launching a campaign calling for rail services to finally deliver for passengers. Which? wants:

·         Train companies to respect passenger rights and comply with the law

·         The regulator to be given real teeth to hold the rail industry to account

·         The Government to swiftly bring forward reforms that put passengers first

If you have experienced delays, overcrowding, poor train conditions, short formation trains or general poor service, share your nightmare experiences with Which? by visiting: www.which.co.uk/mytrainhell 

Vickie Sheriff, Which? Director of Campaigns and Communications, said:

 “After months of disruption, it’s no surprise to see Southern at the bottom of our customer satisfaction survey. 

“Though Southern have performed particularly badly this year, the whole sector is continually failing passengers. Overcrowding, delays, short trains, carriages in poor condition – many services aren’t providing even the basics. Enough is enough – we need rail services that finally deliver for their passengers.”