Rail Customer Experience Survey

This is the first release of the Official Statistics in Development for the new Rail Customer Experience Survey (RCXS), produced by Transport Focus.

You can access the full data sets from the RCXS on our dedicated data page.

Fieldwork for the RCXS is continuous all year round. This data release covers results for fieldwork carried out between 12 October 2025 and 31 March 2026 (Rail Periods 8-13 2025/26).

Across the reporting period, data was collected for around 16,000–17,000 journeys per rail period. In total, this release reports on the feedback from 100,982 passengers who were surveyed about their journey.

Passengers are approached by a fieldworker on their train journey and are given a brief introduction to the survey. They are provided with a QR code to scan to complete the online survey. The vast majority of passengers complete the survey online. For those who cannot complete online, a paper questionnaire was initially offered. This option was discontinued in February 2026 and passengers were offered the alternative of a structured telephone interview instead.

The survey reports on a representative sample of journeys across the rail network. Results relate to the train the passenger was travelling on when recruited.

There are some issues to be aware of affecting the railway during this period. Glasgow Central Station was closed temporarily for a 10-day period in March 2026, following a fire on Union Street. Manchester Piccadilly Station was closed for a week in February 2026 for engineering works. In November 2025, a mass stabbing incident occurred on an LNER train travelling through Cambridgeshire. The train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon, where the attacker was arrested.

More information about the survey and how to interpret the results is available in the appendix.

For queries about this report, please contact RCXSstatistics@transportfocus.org.uk.

Overall journey satisfaction

Overall satisfaction is the percentage of passengers who said they were very satisfied or fairly satisfied, when answering the question “Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with your entire train journey from [origin] to [destination]?”.

This question is asked at the end of the survey, as part of a question set evaluating the journey as a whole. Passengers are also asked at this point about their satisfaction with the punctuality of the train and value for money of their journey, as well as the frequency of trains on the route they are travelling.

Overall, 87 per cent of rail passengers were satisfied with their train journey. This figure was higher in Scotland (91 per cent), than in Wales (89 per cent) and England (87 per cent).

Passengers travelling for leisure purposes were more likely to say they were satisfied (90 per cent), than those travelling for business purposes (87 per cent), or those commuting (83 per cent).

Disabled passengers were slightly less likely to say they were satisfied with their journey (85 per cent), than non-disabled passengers (88 per cent).

Passengers aged 65 and over had the highest satisfaction rate of all age groups, at 92 per cent.

Nine in ten female passengers (90 per cent) were satisfied with their journey, higher than the figure for male passengers (86 per cent). Passengers who do not identify as male or female, but identify in another way, had a lower satisfaction rate (82 per cent).

Similar patterns in satisfaction across disability, age and gender are reflected throughout the data, which is available in the full data sets.

Overall satisfaction with the journey among train operators ranged from 79 per cent (CrossCountry), to 94 per cent (Hull Trains).

The operators with the lowest overall satisfaction ratings in the London and South East sector were Chiltern Railways and Thameslink (both 83 per cent, below the sector total of 87 per cent). Heathrow Express was the highest scoring operator in this sector, at 92 per cent, followed by the Elizabeth Line (90 per cent).

The highest overall satisfaction ratings among long distance sector operators were for Hull Trains (94 per cent) and LNER (93 per cent), both considerably above the sector total of 85 per cent. CrossCountry had the lowest satisfaction rating in this sector, at 79 per cent.

There was less variation across regional sector operators, in part due to the smaller number of operators in the sector (five). ScotRail and Merseyrail achieved the highest satisfaction ratings, both at 92 per cent, followed by Transport for Wales at 90 per cent. The sector total was 89 per cent.

Satisfaction with value for money

Overall, 59 per cent of passengers were satisfied with the value for money of their journey. This was highest in Scotland (70 per cent), followed by Wales (66 per cent), and England (58 per cent).

Satisfaction with value for money was lowest amongst those commuting (49 per cent) and travelling for business purposes (57 per cent), and highest for those travelling for leisure purposes (67 per cent).

Passengers aged 65 and over were much more likely to say they were satisfied with the value for money of their journey (79 per cent), than other age groups.

Satisfaction with value for money varied considerably by whether or not passengers were delayed. A total of 43 per cent of passengers whose journey was delayed were satisfied with the value for money of their journey, compared with 63 per cent of those not delayed.

Overall satisfaction with value for money by train operator ranged from 49 per cent for Great Northern, to 75 per cent for Lumo.

Three operators within the London and South East sector achieved value for money ratings considerably above the sector figure of 57 per cent. Heathrow Express was highest at 68 per cent, followed by London Overground at 66 per cent, and the Elizabeth Line at 65 per cent.

Lumo and Hull Trains had the highest value for money ratings within the long-distance sector (75 per cent and 73 per cent, respectively), both well above the sector total of 57 per cent. Avanti West Coast had the lowest rating in the sector at 50 per cent.

The lowest rating among regional operators was West Midlands Railway, at 63 per cent, below the sector total of 68 per cent. ScotRail achieved the highest rating in this sector at 70 per cent.

Satisfaction with frequency of service

The satisfaction with frequency of service measure is used to understand overall satisfaction with how often trains run between a passenger’s journey origin and destination stations.

It is measured by the percentage of passengers who said they were very or fairly satisfied when answering the question “Thinking about the entire journey you made between [origin] and [destination], how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with how often the trains run between [origin] and [destination]?”.

At a total level, satisfaction with service frequency was 76 per cent. At a nation level, this was highest for Scotland (79 per cent), and lowest for England (75 per cent).

Ratings for frequency of service ranged across train operators from 68 per cent (Southern and Great Northern), to 90 per cent (Heathrow Express).

Satisfaction with frequency of service was lowest amongst those commuting (69 per cent), and highest amongst those travelling for leisure purposes, where eight in ten passengers (80 per cent) were satisfied.

There are some differences in levels of satisfaction with service frequency by Network Rail route and region. This is covered in Section 12.

Satisfaction with train punctuality

The satisfaction with train punctuality measure is used to understand passengers’ satisfaction with the punctuality of their journey.

It is measured by the percentage of passengers responding very or fairly satisfied when answering the question “Thinking about the entire journey you made between [origin] and [destination], how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the punctuality of this train?”

At a total level, 85 per cent of passengers were satisfied with the punctuality of their journey. This was highest in Scotland (90 per cent). The figure for Wales was 86 per cent, and in England was 84 per cent.

Nearly nine in 10 passengers travelling for leisure purposes (88 per cent) were satisfied with punctuality, compared to eight in 10 commuters (80 per cent).

Ratings for punctuality satisfaction ranged across train operators, from 77 per cent (CrossCountry) to 93 per cent (Hull Trains).

Operators within the London and South East sector achieving the lowest satisfaction with punctuality are Thameslink (79 per cent) and South Western Railway (80 per cent), both below the sector total of 85 per cent.

Heathrow Express (91 per cent), Greater Anglia (90 per cent) and Stansted Express (90 per cent) achieved the highest punctuality satisfaction ratings for this sector.

Four long distance sector operators achieved punctuality ratings notably higher than the total (81 per cent) for the sector. The highest scoring operator in this sector was Hull Trains (93 per cent), followed by LNER (91 per cent), Grand Central (90 per cent), and Lumo (88 per cent). CrossCountry achieved the lowest satisfaction for punctuality in this sector, with 77 per cent of passengers saying they were satisfied with the punctuality of their journey.

The operators with the lowest punctuality satisfaction rating amongst regional operators were West Midlands Railway (82 per cent) and Northern (83 per cent), and the operator with the highest punctuality satisfaction rating was ScotRail, at 91 per cent. The sector total was 86 per cent.

Experience of delays

A total of 17 per cent of passengers said they experienced a delay on their journey.

This is the passenger’s own account of whether they were delayed on their journey due to a train being delayed or cancelled, or missing the train due to not getting the assistance they needed. Because many passengers complete the survey before their journey ends, the results reflect the delay as perceived by the passenger at the time they completed the survey.

More than half of delays reported by passengers in the survey were under ten minutes (62 per cent). One third (34 per cent) of delayed passengers were delayed by less than five minutes, and 28 per cent by between five and nine minutes. Around a quarter of reported delays (27 per cent) were of between 10 and 29 minutes, while around one in ten (11 per cent) of delayed passengers said they were delayed by at least 30 minutes.

Length of delay has an impact on overall journey satisfaction. Satisfaction among those delayed by less than five minutes was slightly lower (83 per cent) than the total figure (87 per cent). Satisfaction decreases as journey delay increases, down to 40 per cent for those delayed by more than 30 minutes.

The full results for passengers’ experiences of delays are available in the full data sets.

Satisfaction with delay handling

Passengers who experienced a delay on their journey are asked a series of questions about the delay and how it was handled.

This includes passengers who were delayed who arrived at their destination, as well as those yet to arrive. It also includes passengers who had to travel on a different service because the train they were planning to catch was delayed.

Passengers are asked about their overall satisfaction with how the delay was handled, as well as how the delay impacted them, from a list of options (for example, whether they missed their connecting train, were late for an appointment, or had to pay additional transport costs).

The survey also explores passenger satisfaction with specific aspects of how the delay was handled, including how easy it was to find information, how long it took for the delay to be dealt with, and whether information was provided on alternative routes and travel options.

Less than half (48 per cent) of delayed passengers said they were satisfied with how well the delay was handled. This was higher in Scotland (58 per cent), than in Wales (54 per cent) or England (48 per cent). Commuters were less likely to say they were satisfied with how the delay was handled (41 per cent), than those travelling for leisure purposes (55 per cent).

Just over one fifth (21 per cent) of passengers said they were dissatisfied with how the delay was handled. This was highest amongst commuters (26 per cent), and lowest amongst those travelling for leisure purposes (17 per cent).

In terms of different aspects of how the delay was handled, passengers were most likely to be satisfied with how easy it was to find information (60 per cent). They were least likely to be satisfied with the information provided about alternative routes, onward travel or connections (37 per cent), and how clearly the reason for the delay was explained (40 per cent).

Around half of passengers were satisfied with; how useful the information was (49 per cent); how long it took to deal with the delay (50 per cent); how helpful the staff were (52 per cent); how accurate the information about the delay was (53 per cent); and how often information was provided about the delay (53 per cent).

The full results for satisfaction with delay handling are available in the full data sets.

Satisfaction with how well the delay was handled overall varied across train operators from 42 per cent for both Southern and London Overground, to 70 per cent for Hull Trains.

In the London and South East sector, the operators with the lowest satisfaction ratings for delay handling were Southern and London Overground (both 42 per cent). The sector total was 47 per cent.

The operator in the long-distance sector with the lowest satisfaction rating was CrossCountry, at 46 per cent satisfaction with delay handling, below the sector total of 52 per cent. The operator with the highest rating in this sector was Hull Trains, at 70 per cent.

ScotRail achieved the highest rating in the regional sector at 57 per cent. The total for the regional sector was 52 per cent.

When asked whether or not they looked for any information before going to the station, 38 per cent of passengers said they did not, answering that they ‘just turned up at the station’.

A greater proportion, 43 per cent, looked at live departures to check if their train was running on time or which platform to use. Scheduled train times and ticket options were reviewed by 35 per cent of passengers, three per cent looked up how busy the train would be, and four per cent looked up specific facilities and services.

Passengers were most likely to look for information about their journey on an app (68 per cent), followed by Google or Apple Maps (18 per cent), and ‘at a train station, before travelling today’ (nine per cent).

There were some differences in approach between nations. Passengers in England were much more likely to say they would look for information using online mapping (such as Google or Apple maps; 19 per cent), than in Scotland (seven per cent) or Wales (seven per cent). In Scotland and Wales, passengers were more likely to use an app to seek information (78 per cent for both), compared with England (67 per cent).

Overall, almost all passengers (95 per cent) said they found it either very easy or fairly easy to find the information they needed when planning their journey.

The survey asks passengers a series of questions about how, where and when they bought the ticket for their journey. There is considerable variation between operators.

Overall, passengers were most likely to say they bought their ticket from a mobile app (37 per cent), or that they tapped in and out using a contactless bank card or phone (25 per cent). However, the use of contactless payment was much higher for operators in the London and South East sector (32 per cent) than for regional or long-distance operators (seven per cent and two per cent respectively).

A smaller proportion, nine per cent, tapped in or out using a smartcard, such as a Key Smartcard or Oyster. Again, this figure was higher for operators in the London and South East sector, at 11 per cent.

Seven per cent bought their ticket from a website. Websites were more likely to be used by those travelling with long-distance operators (16 per cent).

Passengers who purchased a physical ticket were most likely to do so using the ticket office (eight per cent) or a ticket machine (seven per cent). Just one per cent purchased their ticket from a member of staff with a mobile ticket machine.

Most passengers who purchased their ticket using an app used the Trainline app (63 per cent), while around one in five used the app from the train company they travelled with (20 per cent).

If they purchased via a website, passengers were most likely to buy their ticket from the website of the train company they were travelling with (38 per cent), or the Trainline website (35 per cent).

More than half of passengers who bought a ticket (excluding those who tapped in), bought their ticket very close to their departure time, with 53 per cent purchasing on the day of travel, and 15 per cent on the day before.

Just under one third (31 per cent) bought their tickets further in advance, most commonly between two and six days before travel (14 per cent). The proportion of passengers buying their ticket further in advance is lower (12 per cent purchased one to four weeks before travel, and six per cent more than a month before travel).

Satisfaction with ticket buying experience

Overall, 86 per cent of passengers said they were satisfied with their experience of buying tickets. This was higher in Scotland (92 per cent) and Wales (89 per cent) than in England (86 per cent).

A total 79 per cent of passengers said they found it very or fairly easy to find the cheapest ticket for their journey.

The proportion of passengers saying it was easy to understand the different types of tickets available for their journey was 78 per cent. A slightly higher proportion, 83 per cent, agreed that it was easy for them to understand which trains their ticket was valid for.

A total of 89 per cent of passengers who had a specific seat reserved for their journey said it was easy to book a seat on the train, with relatively little difference by nation or train operator.

See full data sets for more information on the different aspects of ticket buying covered in the survey.

The ratings for satisfaction with the ticket buying experience ranged across train operators from 84 per cent (Thameslink, Great Northern, and South Western Railway) to 93 per cent (Grand Central, Hull Trains, LNER and Lumo).

There were two operators in the London and the South East sector with ratings considerably above the sector total; Heathrow Express (92 per cent) and Stansted Express (90 per cent), compared with 85 per cent for the sector as a whole.

Passengers are asked a number of questions about their experience at the departure station on their journey. All station metrics are based on the departure station, not the arrival station.

As well as overall satisfaction, passengers are asked about what they did at the station, from a list of options. This includes activities such as whether they found somewhere to sit, bought food or drink, or used a toilet.

Follow-up rating questions explore passengers’ satisfaction with station features or facilities. Passengers are only asked these questions where relevant. For example, they are only asked about satisfaction with toilet facilities if they used the toilets.

The survey also asks whether there was anything that they wanted to do at the departure station, but were not able to, from the same list of features and facilities (including seating, toilets, and food and drink).

Overall satisfaction with the departure station

Overall, the percentage of passengers saying they were satisfied with the departure station was 88 per cent. This was slightly higher in Scotland (91 per cent), than in England and Wales (both 88 per cent).

Passengers travelling for commuting purposes were slightly less likely to say they were satisfied with the departure station (85 per cent compared with those travelling for leisure purposes (90 per cent)). Those travelling for business purposes gave an overall rating equal to the national figure (88 per cent).

Overall, 88 per cent of passengers said they were satisfied with their departure station.

Chart 7.2 compares satisfaction ratings for the 20 stations managed by Network Rail, which includes many of the busiest stations on the network.

The two Network Rail managed stations with the highest overall satisfaction score were both in Scotland; Glasgow Central and Edinburgh, both 93 per cent satisfaction. London Euston had the lowest satisfaction rating, at 80 per cent.

All other station level results (for stations with at least 100 responses) are available in the full data set.

Satisfaction with aspects of experience at the departure station

All respondents are asked about their satisfaction with aspects of the departure station experienced by all, such as cleanliness, personal safety, and availability of staff.

For station facilities (such as toilets, food and drink and internet connection), respondents are only asked about their satisfaction with facilities that they used, so base sizes for metrics in this section vary.

The survey also asks whether there were things that passengers wanted to do at the station but were unable to. The data for this question is available in the full data sets.

Passengers’ experiences of the information available at the departure station are also reported in Section 9 (Passenger Information).

Thinking about aspects of the station experience experienced by all passengers:

• The aspect of the station experience that achieved the highest satisfaction rating is ease of getting onto the train, at 92 per cent satisfaction.
• Availability of staff at the station had the lowest satisfaction rating, at 72 per cent.
• 79 per cent of passengers said they were satisfied with the cleanliness of the station.
• A slightly higher proportion of passengers, 83 per cent, said they were satisfied with personal safety at the station.
• A total of 86 per cent of passengers said they were satisfied with ease of access and moving around the station.
• A similar proportion, 87 per cent, said they were satisfied with the availability of signs to find your way around the station.

When considering specific station facilities or services that passengers may or may not have used:

• Helpfulness of staff received the highest satisfaction rating, at 92 per cent of passengers who said they spoke to staff at the station.
• Toilet facilities received the lowest rating, at 78 per cent satisfaction amongst those who used the toilet.
• 79 per cent of those using the station’s internet connection were satisfied with it.
• 79 per cent of those who found somewhere to sit at the station were satisfied with the seating.
• 84 per cent of those who bought something to eat, drink or other retail item at the station were satisfied with the food, drink or retail offer.

Overall satisfaction with the departure station ranged across train operators from 94 per cent (LNER), to 83 per cent (c2c).

In the London and South East sector, satisfaction with the departure station was highest for passengers travelling with Heathrow Express, at 92 per cent, and the Elizabeth Line at 91 per cent. The London and South East sector total was 88 per cent.

The highest level of departure station satisfaction in the long-distance sector was for passengers travelling on LNER (94 per cent), Lumo (93 per cent), and Hull Trains (93 per cent), all above the sector total of 88 per cent.

It should be noted that there is overlap around (particularly larger) stations being used by different operators, e.g Kings Cross can be the departure station for LNER / Lumo / Hull Trains /Great Northern/ Grand Central and Glasgow Central can be ScotRail, Avanti, TPE or CrossCountry. Individual train operators may not have management responsibility for station facilities at all the departure stations they serve.

As well as overall satisfaction with the train, passengers are asked about what they did and what they wanted to do on board, from a list of options.

Follow-up rating questions explore passengers’ satisfaction with the on-train facilities. Passengers are only asked these questions where relevant. For example, they are only asked about satisfaction with the toilets, if they used the toilets on board.

Overall satisfaction with the train

Overall, 87 per cent of passengers were satisfied with the train they were travelling on for their journey.

This was highest in Scotland (90 per cent), just slightly above Wales (88 per cent) and England (87 per cent).

Satisfaction was higher among passengers travelling for leisure purposes (90 per cent), than those travelling for business (86 per cent) or commuting (83 per cent).

Overall satisfaction with the train varied at a train operator level, from 77 per cent (CrossCountry), to 93 per cent (Heathrow Express, Hull Trains and LNER).

Among operators in the London and South East sector, Heathrow Express had the highest overall satisfaction rating, at 93 per cent, followed by the Elizabeth Line (91 per cent), both considerably above the average for London and South East (87 per cent). The lowest scoring operator in this sector was Chiltern Railways (80 per cent).

Hull Trains (93 per cent) and LNER (also 93 per cent) achieved the highest train satisfaction ratings amongst operators in the long-distance sector. CrossCountry achieved the lowest score (77 per cent), considerably below the sector total (84 per cent).

Merseyrail achieved the highest train satisfaction rating amongst regional sector operators (92 per cent), closely followed by ScotRail (90 per cent). Northern had the lowest satisfaction rating within this sector, at 86 per cent, just below the sector total of 88 per cent.

See the full data sets covering satisfaction with the train by train operator.

Satisfaction with aspects of experience on board the train

All respondents are asked about their satisfaction with aspects of the train experienced by all, such as train crowding, cleanliness, personal safety, and availability of staff.

For on-board facilities such as toilets, comfort of seating, storage space for luggage and internet connection, respondents are only asked about their satisfaction with facilities that they used. Those who responded ‘Don’t know’ or ‘Does not apply’ are excluded from the base. This is a large proportion in some cases (for example, 13 per cent for satisfaction with availability of staff on the train).

The survey also asks whether there were things that passengers wanted to do on the train but were unable to. See the full data sets for more information.

Data on passengers’ experiences of the information available at the station is reported in section nine (Passenger Information).

Overall, nine in ten passengers said that they got a seat on the train for the whole of their journey (90 per cent). A further four per cent of passengers got a seat for at least part of their journey, while three per cent did not get a seat, despite wanting one. Three per cent did not want a seat or did not know.

Thinking about aspects of the train experienced by all passengers:

• Passengers were least likely to say they were satisfied with the availability of staff on the train (58 per cent satisfaction), and most likely to be satisfied with personal safety (86 per cent satisfaction).
• 78 per cent of passengers said they were satisfied with how crowded the train was.
• 79 per cent of passengers said they were satisfied with cleanliness inside the train.

Thinking about these aspects at a train operator level:

• There was considerable variation by operator for availability of staff on the train, ranging from 88 per cent satisfaction for Hull Trains, to 37 per cent for Great Northern and 38 per cent for Thameslink.
• Satisfaction with personal safety on the train was lowest for three operators covering the London and South East sector; c2c at 79 per cent, Thameslink at 80 per cent, and Southeastern at 82 per cent. The operator with the highest rating for personal safety was Heathrow Express at 94 per cent.
• Overall satisfaction with how crowded the train was lowest across operators for CrossCountry, at 63 per cent. This was considerably below the long-distance sector total of 76 per cent.
• Train cleanliness was rated highest for LNER and Merseyrail (both 91 per cent satisfaction) and lowest for Thameslink, Southern and c2c (all 70 per cent).

When considering specific train facilities or services that passengers may or may not have used:

• The lowest overall satisfaction rating was for internet connection using the train Wi-Fi, at 69 per cent of passengers satisfied, and the highest satisfaction rating was for comfort of seating, at 80 per cent satisfied.
• 70 per cent of passengers were satisfied with toilet facilities.
• 73 per cent of passengers were satisfied with storage space for luggage, pushchairs or bicycles.
• There was considerable variation at an operator level for satisfaction with the Wi-Fi on the train, from 46 per cent for Great Western and 47 per cent for East Midlands Railway, to 85 per cent for Heathrow Express. Passengers travelling on Heathrow Express were also most likely to say they were satisfied with the storage space on the train (90 per cent), with Chiltern Railways and London Overground having the lowest satisfaction ratings for storage, at 62 per cent.

Passengers are asked about information provision at different points in the survey. This includes what information they look for as part of planning their journey, what information is provided at the station and on the train, and information provision in the event of a delay.

Section four covers information on delays experienced, including satisfaction with the accuracy and clarity of the information provided to passengers in the event of a delay.

Section five covers analysis of the information sources used by passengers to plan their journey, and how easy they found it to find that information.

When at the station: 

• Passengers were most likely to say they looked at departure boards or screens (51 per cent) to find out information about their journey. A total of 25 per cent used an app while at the station, and 23 per cent listened to announcements. 

• Just over a quarter (26 per cent) did not look for any information about their journey. 

• Fewer passengers sought information from staff (nine per cent), used a website while at the station (five per cent), or used the ticket machines (four per cent) to get information. Less than one per cent spoke to someone using a ‘help’ button.

Passengers travelling with operators in the long-distance sector were more likely to look for information at the station generally (compared with other sectors), with 18 per cent saying they did not use any of the given options to look for information. This figure was higher (27 per cent) for those travelling with operators in the London and the South East sector.

Passengers travelling for leisure reasons were more likely to seek out a member of staff to find information about their journey (11 per cent), compared with six per cent of those commuting.

Passengers aged 65 and over were more likely to look for information generally. This was particularly the case for looking at departure boards (65 per cent of this age group used these, compared with 51 per cent overall), and speaking to a member of staff (16 per cent, compared with nine per cent).

Whilst on the train: 

• passengers were most likely to say they listened to announcements (36 per cent) to get information about their journey. 

• just under a third (31 per cent) of passengers did not seek out any information about their journey whilst on the train. 

• the next most common sources of on-board information were digital displays (used by 30 per cent of passengers) or apps (29 per cent) 

• passengers were less likely to use a website to seek out information about their journey whilst on the train (14 per cent), or to speak to a member of staff (nine per cent). 

Similar to at the station, passengers on journeys in the long-distance operator sector were slightly more likely to access information on the train (than other sectors).

Satisfaction with information received

Overall, 87 per cent of passengers were satisfied with the information they received on the train. Overall satisfaction with information at the station was slightly higher, at 89 per cent. In both cases, this was highest for Scotland (90 per cent and 92 per cent, respectively).

Passengers travelling for leisure purposes were slightly more likely to say they were satisfied with the information at the station (91 per cent), than those commuting (87 per cent). On the train, the pattern was similar (at 88 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively).

Satisfaction with information on the train varied across operators, from 82 per cent for Chiltern Railways, to 93 per cent for Hull Trains. See section eight for full results by train operator.

This chapter covers data on assistance sought and received by passengers as part of their journey.

This covers whether passengers have a specific assistance need, whether and how passengers sought assistance (for example, booked before travelling, or found a member of staff to request help), and the type of assistance required (for example, space for a wheelchair, or help getting in or out of a seat).

The survey asks ‘whether you, or anyone you were travelling with’ has assistance needs. Where reference is made in this section to passengers needing assistance, this could be the respondent themselves, or someone they are travelling with.

The majority of passengers, 95 per cent, said that neither they nor anyone travelling with them had any assisted travel needs. A total of four per cent of passengers had some assisted travel need, and one per cent preferred not to say.

The most common type of assistance needed was help with luggage or a large item, help getting around the station, or help getting on or off trains (each one per cent).

Passengers with assistance requirements are asked how they sought assistance before or during their journey. Passengers were most likely to say that they found a member of staff and asked them for help (17 per cent). The next most common answer was another passenger or a member of staff offered to help (12 per cent and 11 per cent respectively). A smaller proportion of those with assisted travel needs, seven per cent, said that they booked assistance before travelling.

Amongst those booking assistance in advance, passengers were most likely to have done so either through a website (35 per cent), or using the Passenger Assist app (35 per cent). A smaller proportion, 19 per cent, booked their assistance over the phone.

Passengers needing assistance were most likely to say they required this getting on the train (25 per cent), or at the station where they caught the train (23 per cent). One in five (20 per cent) needed assistance on the platform, and 18 per cent said they needed assistance either in planning their journey, or getting off the train (although it is worth noting that many were still on the train when they responded to the survey).

Passengers needing assistance were less likely to say they needed help when buying their ticket (16 per cent), at their arrival station (12 per cent), or on the train (10 per cent).

Overall, 69 per cent of passengers who needed assistance said that they got all the assistance they needed; 20 per cent said they got some but not all of the required assistance, and 11 per cent said they did not get any of the assistance they needed.

Of those passengers who received at least some of the assistance they needed, 87 per cent were very or fairly satisfied with the assistance they received.

In the first section of the survey, passengers are asked how likely they are to recommend travelling by train to someone thinking of making a similar journey. This is asked using an 11-point scale, with 0 being ‘not at all likely’, and 10 being ‘extremely likely’.

Responses to this question are used to calculate a Net Promoter Score (NPS). This is calculated in two steps. Responses are firstly categorised into either ‘net detractor’ (score of 0 – 6), ‘net passive’ (7 – 8), or ‘net promoter’ (9 – 10).

To calculate the NPS score, the percentage of detractors is then subtracted from the percentage of promoters. The passive responses are not used in the calculation.

Towards the end of the survey, passengers are asked about their overall experience, as well as their attitudes to rail travel more generally.

Passengers are asked how much they trust the rail industry on a scale of 0 – 10, where 0 means ‘do not trust at all’, and 10 means ‘trust a great deal’. Responses to this question are used in the same way to derive a Trust NPS score. Those scoring 0 – 6 are categorised as low or no trust (detractors), 7 – 8 as medium trust (passives) and 9 – 10 as high trust (promoters).

The full NPS result tables include passenger responses on the likelihood to recommend travelling by train and trust in the rail industry.

It should be noted that the trust in the rail industry measure may or may not relate directly to the passenger experience on that journey.

Trust in the rail industry

Nationally, 21 per cent of passengers were categorised as High Trust (Promoters; score 9 – 10).

A total of 34 per cent were categorised as Medium Trust (Passives; score 7 – 8), and 45 per cent as Low or No Trust (Detractors; score 0 – 6).

The NPS score calculation results in a Trust score of –25 (21 minus 45, after rounding).

Breakdowns of trust in the rail industry including by train operator, sector and journey reason are available in the full data sets.

Likelihood to recommend the train

Nationally, 56 per cent of passengers were categorised as promoters (score 9 -10).

A total of 30 per cent were categorised as passives (score 7 – 8), and 14 per cent as detractors (score 0 – 6).

The NPS score is 42 (56 minus 14).

Breakdowns of likelihood to recommend the train including by train operator, sector and journey reason are available in the full tables.

Journeys are assigned to Network Rail routes and regions based on the location of the departure station.

All survey questions within the full data set include data breakdowns by Network Rail routes and regions.

Scotland consistently achieved the highest scores of all Network Rail routes and regions, for overall satisfaction, punctuality, frequency of service and delay handling.

Southern is the lowest scoring region for overall satisfaction (86 per cent), frequency of service (72 per cent), and punctuality (83 per cent).

The percentage of passengers satisfied with their train journey overall varied by Network Rail route from 85 per cent (East Midlands and Wessex), to 91 per cent (Scotland), compared with the total figure of 87 per cent. By region, the variation was from 91 per cent for Scotland, to 86 per cent for Southern.

Wessex has the lowest satisfaction rating of all routes for punctuality (80 per cent) and frequency of service (70 per cent).