Do you travel with the UK’s worst train company?
It's official: Southern is the UK's worst train company, according to a new study.
The National Rail Passenger Survey, conducted during Autumn last year, found passengers using Southern train services were the UK's most miserable, with 19 per cent saying they were dissatisfied. Just 65 per cent said they were satisfied – the lowest of any operator, and a 12 per cent decline on the year before.
That was followed by Thameslink, with a 13 per cent dissatisfaction rate (and just 73 per cent saying they were happy), while Great Northern and Southeastern had the dubious honour of coming joint third.
Meanwhile, Hull Trains was named the nation's most beloved operator, with 97 per cent of passengers saying they were happy with its service, followed by Heathrow, with 96 per cent, and Merseyrail, with 95 per cent. It seems the old adage about it being grim oop north doesn't spread to the region's trains…
The UK's worst train companies
| Train company | Proportion of unhappy customers | |
| 1. | Southern | 19% |
| 2. | Thameslink | 13% |
| 3. | Great Northern Southeastern |
10% |
| 4. | Great Western Railway Transpennine Express |
9% |
| 5. | Greater Anglia CrossCountry |
8% |
Southern was also rated the worst value for money, with 42 per cent of travellers saying they were dissatisfied with the price of their ticket, while Merseyrail was rated the best value for money, with 71 per cent saying they were satisfied.
The UK's best train companies
| Train company | Approval rating | |
| 1. | Hull Trains | 97% |
| 2. | Heathrow Express | 96% |
| 3. | Merseyrail | 95% |
| 4. | Virgin Trains East Coast Chiltern Railways Grand Central |
91% |
| 5. | London Overground Virgin Trains |
90% |