Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

• Beth Williams, Warrington

  The principal reason why I seldom travel by train now is the ridiculous cost of buying a ticket at short notice. Quite why the railway company penalise passengers who are not able to plan their journeys months ahead is a mystery. It clearly has nothing to do with altering timetables or train capacity but presumably has everything to do with gouging as much money from the public as possible. Well, I get the message and use my car instead.

• Martin, Haywards Heath

  The Brighton Mainline is particularly bad with everone else blameing everone esle. Network Rail, MP's, Southern and First Capital Connect. None of them could manage their way out of a paperbag with things go wrong and they go wrong probably twice a week during the rush hours. Southern just seem to be after peoples money. Even when no trains are running due to disruption they still take money from passenger who don't relaise there are problems then you get on the platform and its all belam!
  No one know what is going on anouncments don't tie up, dispayes are incorrect and the the poor station staff don't have a clue what is going on..Not forgeting that trains fares have gone up due to an improving service. Its a joke.... no one cares no one takes responsiblity absolutlu appaling....

• Michael, London

  AS a regular train/rail passenger 100% dissatification!
  When I moved to my current residence 4 years ago...the price of a Season ticket has gone up by over 300%.

• Miles Bassett, London

  Railways should be seen as important as health and education. Without then this country will not move. Renationalise them and have the profits go back into the railway. Spend tonnes on quadrupling and hexrpuling, build new express tunnels under London, build more, longer and more comfortable trains in THIS country. Raise speed limits, cut journey times and stop being afraid the railways will bite if you give them investment.

• Chris Neville-Smith, Durham, England

  "I'm afraid we're basically stuck with what we've got."
  
  That's only partially right. It's true to say that rail capacity in London is severely constrained by the lack of space to add new tracks short of mass demolition. We're not quite at the point where it's impossible to increase capacity on existing lines (e.g. the Thameslink programme), but we're running out of options.
  
  However, there is always the option of tunnels. Tunnelling is of course hugely expensive, but with the chronic overcrowding coming into London and the large number of trains you can send into tunnels, they can deliver a lot of benefits once they're built. Ultimately, the question is whether the billions in construction costs in worth it.
  
  (IMHO, I'm happy to consider Crossrail 2, but only if this is balanced out by some proper investment in local rail in the rest of the country.)

• Tony Pearce, Reading

  The most densley populated part of Europe is the South-East of England. Its also the most dense in terms of railway lines and stations. I can't think of any network I've ever been on as crowded with trains and passengers. Its no suprise that travelling anywhere in SE England by any mode of transport isn't full of difficulties. I travel by train with all its problems because it is the best I've got available. I'd love to go back 30 years when I could get a train with only 2 or 3 people in a carriage but we've moved on. Unless we knock down everything to have 6 tracks and Double-decker trains everywhere, I'm afraid we're basically stuck with what we've got.

• Adam, Birmingham

  Comparing the long distance operators against regional operators is not a fair comparison to be honest. I wonder how many of the Virgin Trains complaints were actually down to issues with the Infrastructure?
  
  And in response to Jim Campbell, a high percentage of signal failures in the West Midlands area are down to cable theft

• phil, Watford

  I find this survey difficult to take seriously, sure, trains are often overcrowded, occasionally late, but very rarely dirty, if one statement is clearly false one cannot believe the rest. It sound as if it has been done with random people who do not travel by train regularly and are relating to experiences long past.

• Chris Neville-Smith, Durham, England

  Any chance of someone comparing the methodology of both surveys?. As far as I can see, the results could be anything depending on whether you asked "There, that service was fine today wasn't it?", to "Isn't it awful that the greedy fat cat privatised shareholders have made your travel a misery?"
  
  I generally take no notice of these surveys unless I'm comparing like for like.

• Lee, Manchester

  In reality I think both surveys are representative as they both seem to pick up on rail user feedback from different times of the day. Those travelling off-peak will probably feel they do get a better valuie for money, reliable service than commuters.
  
  I also think peoples expectations have risen and commuters do not expect to have to stand crammed into a vestibule for 20-30 minute commutes. Fare rises are necessary to fund improvement projects, but where else do you pay up front for something that has yet to be delivered?
  
  Very often the improvements are unknown to the majority of commuters as they tend to be unadvertised unless new rolling stock or major infrastructure improvements are proposed.
  
  Most rail companies sem to suffer from terminal information constipation. When things are going well, there are endless announcements, but from experience when things do go according to plan, there is a beating of the retereat from rail staff and if you do manage to corner one, the chances are they are not kept up-to-date with developments, don't know anything useful or just contradict one another. All of which add to the frustration of the travelling public.
  
  Announcments proclaiming services are 'on time' fivve-ten minutes after they should have left don't help. I klnow the rail industry regards this as on-time dependant upon the service, but the travelling public don't.
  
  Finally, when travelling in the Benelux countries, their trains tend to run on time far more frequently than ours (maybe thats just a perception though). They are still overcrowded in the city areas, just like ours are but they seem to operate rolling stock specifically designed for the tax in-hand. High density surburban stock for inner suburban services, often couppled in long trains. Double-deck for outer suburban services, again coupled in longer trains and finally intercity stock for intercity services. In this country we seem to opt for the one-size fits all approack with 2-car rural commuter trains used on inner suburban services and Desiros used on Inner suburban, outer suburban and intercity services. Is it really any wonder why lay-people complain so much about the costs of travelling by train and the conditions and stock used?
  
  

• Jim Campbell, Birmingham

  A Which Survey was probably carried out amongst Which Members who by their very nature are likley to be those who complain most. That doesn't mean the criticicsm isn't valid but as others report teh main culprit is often Network Rail.
  The problems with London Midland before Christmas were well documented but since the "extra" staff started there are still problems on a daily basis. However, if you listen carefully to the reports it is nomrally overhead wires or signalling to blame. Why are there so many signalling failures. Here in the West Midlands there seems to be at least one every day.

• Simon, Camberley

  I'm wondering where they survey these people, and if they work for them. I remember back in Bristol the services were over inflated and generally passable at best. Over in London it's much the same story, and still the hike ups continue. I've never seen a survey from them though.

• Tim, Devon

  From Which website:"Which?’s online survey was conducted in November 2012 and asked 7,519 UK adults about their train journeys in the last 12 months. Survey respondents had, on average, travelled 37 times by rail in the previous year."
  
  It doesn't say how they selected/contacted the people to take part in the survey? If they were self selecting then you will always get much higher dissatisfied ratings.

• John, Milton keynes

  Im totally disappointed with southern train. Some times it does well but more often it delays too much in the morning from Milton keynes to East Croydon. The season ticket is too expensive with a shoddy service. I would urge them to improve especially in the morning to ensure people are not late for work to avoid friction with our bosses.

• Elliott, Haywards Heath

  The real problem (and every TOC knows it) is the poor service they get from NETWORK RAIL..!! EVERY TOC in the UK depends on the service from Network rail and here in the South East, it has been one problem after another. Mainly down to poor routine maintenance..
  
  There has been far too much so called ' improvement work ' carried out closing the Brighton mainline on weekends during this winter. Much of it could have been done over night..!!
  
  Passenger Focus surveys should look at asking better questions.. All that passengers see is a late running train and automatically blame the TOC when in fact, the chances are Network Rail is really to blame..!! but of course, the TOCs are not allowed to point that out to passengers..!!
  
  A few years ago for instance, South East got a hammering during the snow. Its up to Network Rail to keep the line servicable...NOT THE TOCs..!!