Britain’s railways – on the right track?

10 June 2025

Britain’s railways have been the subject of much discussion in recent weeks with the nationalisation of the first operator (South Western Railway) as we move towards Great British Railways. While GBR is some way down the track it’s vital that every part of the railway is focussed on today’s passenger and their day-to-day experience.  

So how are operators performing right now? Transport Focus’s scorecards look at how operators across the country are currently performing and is used within the industry to identify customer focussed improvements and help drive-up passenger satisfaction levels. 

In our latest results, five train operators have demonstrated continued high performance with a score of 91 per cent or above for overall satisfaction. Merseyrail passengers are most satisfied at 93 per cent.  

Operators with high overall satisfaction scores also performed relatively well in terms of reliability/punctuality. Unsurprisingly, operators with lower reliability/punctuality scores tend to have lower overall satisfaction. This indicates the ongoing importance of running trains on time and to schedule when it comes to shaping overall satisfaction. In the context of wider rail reform, operators still need to maintain a focus on delivering the basics well. 

Mirroring the last scorecard, CrossCountry continue to have lower satisfaction scores than other operators and its passengers continue to experience significant issues. 75 per cent of CrossCountry passengers are satisfied with their service, 48 per cent satisfied with the level of crowding onboard the train and 48 per cent of passengers satisfied with the value for money of the service. However, the Rail User Survey results highlight some signs of improvement, especially in relation to reliability/punctuality, which is supported by the latest Office of Rail and Road (ORR) data.  

Thirteen operators in the middle of the pack are only separated by four percentage points. Northern’s survey scores are indicative of an improving picture across-the-board (most notably in relation to reliability/punctuality). The latest ORR data shows a decrease in cancellations (noting that Northern is operating a reduced timetable on Sundays).  

Looking at the passenger comments in our survey a number of themes emerge. Passengers highlighted the importance of accessible rail travel, what good practice looks like and particularly the importance of engaged staff and clear information. One passenger in our survey said: “Helpful and friendly station staff (I travel with a disability), accessibility options, signage, and verbal information on stations and trains.”

The comments also emphasised the importance of fare simplification and specifically that ticket complexity continues to drive frustration and unfairness (for example passengers unwittingly paying more than they should do). Relatedly, value for money continues to be rated poorly across all operators. One passenger commented: “I had a split ticket as this was cheaper, found for me by staff… Train companies should offer the best price possible to all users… it shouldn’t be a lottery or tricky test.”

In creating this comparative snapshot for each train operator, we want to foster improvements for passengers and ultimately drive-up their satisfaction. The next iteration of our scorecard will provide us with more opportunities to understand the passenger experience in greater depth with the introduction of the new industry Rail Customer Experience Survey. This new continuous survey will provide a much broader and deeper level of insight to the whole rail industry to help to drive up passenger satisfaction and get more people using our trains. 

The creation of Great British Railways will not happen overnight, and every opportunity must be taken to improve services before then. Train companies must remain focused on delivering what matters most to passengers: a reliable service, that represents value for money and is accessible to everyone.