Rail passengers in the south-east of the UK are the least satisfied with their train service, according to a new survey by Which? magazine.
Southeastern was the joint-worst performing operator alongside Thameslink and Great Northern, with an overall satisfaction score of just 46 per cent.
The survey of 6,986 commuters found that a third were delayed on their most recent train journey, while seven per cent had been delayed by 30 minutes or more.
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The top ten worst-scoring railway operators in the customer satisfaction stakes were:
1. Thameslink and Great Northern/Southeastern – 46 per cent
3. Abellio Greater Anglia - 47 per cent
4. Southern – 48 per cent
5. Arriva Trains Wales – 49 per cent
6. Northern Rail/First Great Western – 50 per cent
8. South West Trains – 51 per cent
9. TFL Rail – 52 per cent
10. London Midland Rail – 55 per cent
Dirty onboard facilities, a lack of carriages at peak times and frequent delays were all cited as major issues for passengers on the low-scoring operators.
At the other end of the scale, Grand Central, which operates on the East Coast Main Line, topped the table with 79 per cent. It also scored five stars for availability of seating, punctuality, cleanliness of trains, reliability and value for money.
"Our report shows that commuters are getting a raw deal from their train operator," Which? executive director Richard Lloyd told the BBC. "It is clear operators need to up their game."
The survey also found passengers were not being made aware of the refund system for severe delays. Nearly two-thirds of those delayed for more than 30 minutes were not informed about their rights when the delay occurred, while only a third of those who could be entitled actually made a compensation claim.
In response to the findings, Southeastern said continuing improvement work in London was to blame for disruptions to its services.
"We're part way through a £70m investment programme, refurbishing our trains and stations, providing more frontline employees for passengers, improving customer service training and providing more real time information during journeys," a spokesman said.
The company was "working hard to improve punctuality and minimise delay", he added.
Govia Thameslink, which runs the Thameslink and Great Northern routes, also apportioned some blame to Network Rail.
"We know that passenger satisfaction is strongly linked to punctuality and together with our partners Network Rail, we are working hard to improve performance by reducing the delays within our control," it said.
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