Rail passenger satisfaction in the UK dropped to 79%. Credit: Ewan Munro from London, UK.

A survey has found that passenger satisfaction with rail services in the UK has dropped to the lowest level in a decade.

Conducted by rail passenger watchdog Transport Focus, the National Rail Passenger Survey found that overall satisfaction with rail services dropped to 79%, the lowest since 2008.

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The study found that one out of five passengers (21%) are not satisfied with the services.

Transport Focus added that deteriorating punctuality, chaos after the introduction of new railway timetables and multiple strikes contributed to the decline in passenger satisfaction.

The survey report stated that two out of 25 train companies improved on passenger satisfaction, while seven operators declined compared to the Autumn 2017 survey.

“In the longer term, the Government’s Rail Review must bring about fundamental change.”

Heathrow Express and Chiltern Railways were the two companies that improved, while Great Northern, Northern, TransPennine Express, Greater Anglia, ScotRail, Thameslink and London North Eastern Railway dropped on their autumn 2017 score.

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Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith said: “Our latest survey confirms passenger satisfaction has fallen to a 10-year low.

“Government and the industry must continue to focus on performance. In the longer term, the Government’s Rail Review must bring about fundamental change.”

Nationally, 71% of the respondents rated their train journeys satisfactory, compared to 74% in autumn 2017. However, it is significantly lower than 81% in autumn 2008.

The Transport Focus survey added that the proportion of journeys rated satisfactory with respect to value for money is 46%, unchanged compared to autumn 2008.

Additionally, passenger satisfaction on how train operators handled delays was 37%.

Overall, the survey recorded the opinion of more than 25,000 passengers with their latest journey.

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