Best train stations according to passengers revealed

07 May 2018

London Kings Cross is the top train station in Britain, say passengers.

In a survey by independent watchdog Transport Focus over 28,000 passengers rated how satisfied they were with the station they were travelling from.

Kings Cross tops the list of train stations with the most satisfied passengers. The Network Rail station, which Virgin East Coast, Great Northern, Grand Central and Hull Trains operate from, earned 96 per cent passenger satisfaction.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent transport watchdog, said:

“Our research shows how a good experience at many of Britain’s major train stations like Kings Cross can improve passengers’ train journeys.

“Investment in stations can improve passengers’ satisfaction with them when targeted at features which make a difference to their experience. Passengers’ top priorities for stations include arrival time information, waiting rooms and the overall look and feel of the station.”

The top five stations for passenger satisfaction are London Kings Cross, London St Pancras (95 per cent), Birmingham New Street and Reading (both 92 per cent) and London Marylebone (91 per cent).

Passengers were least satisfied with Glasgow Queen Street. The ScotRail station, which is undergoing a major upgrade, had just 58 per cent of passengers satisfied.

Anthony Smith added:

“While Glasgow Queen Street is being redeveloped it’s vital that the ScotRail Alliance continues to talk to passengers about the improvements and makes sure staff are on hand to help.”

Glasgow Queen Street was followed by Gatwick Airport station (66 per cent), Oxford (67 per cent), Clapham Junction (67 per cent) and Barking (70 per cent).

The independent watchdog is calling on Network Rail and train operators to focus on the things that are most important to passengers in the design and the delivery of station improvements.

Britain’s top stations according to passengers

1.    London Kings Cross	96%
2.    London St Pancras	95%
3.    Birmingham New Street	92%
4.    Reading	92%
5.    London Marylebone	91%
6.    Liverpool Central	91%
7.    Beaconsfield	91%
8.    Sheffield	91%
9.    Manchester Piccadilly	91%
10.  Glasgow Central	91%
11.  London Blackfriars	91%
12.  York	91%
13.  Edinburgh	90%
14.  Newcastle	90%
15.  Amersham	90%
16.  Leicester	89%
17.  Newark North Gate	89%
18.  London Paddington	88%
19.  Heathrow Airport Terminals 1,2,3	88%
20.  London Fenchurch Street	88%
21.  Richmond (Surrey)	88%
22.  Bath Spa	88%
23.  Heathrow Terminal 5	88%
24.  Liverpool Lime Street	87%
25.  High Wycombe	87%
26.  Leamington Spa	87%
27.  Cambridge	87%
28.  London Liverpool Street	87%
29.  Nottingham	86%
30.  Milton Keynes Central	86%
31.  Peterborough	86%
32.  Derby	85%
33.  Moorfields	85%
34.  Leeds	84%
35.  Brighton	83%
36.  London Charing Cross	83%
37.  London Bridge	81%
38.  Chester	81%
39.  St Albans	81%
40.  London Waterloo	81%
41.  Bristol Temple Meads	81%
42.  London Euston	81%
43.  London Cannon Street	79%
44.  Coventry	77%
45.  East Croydon	77%
46.  Stratford (London)	76%
47.  Cardiff Central	75%
48.  Hull	73%
49.  Highbury And Islington	72%
50.  London Victoria	72%
51.  Wimbledon	71%
52.  Barking	70%
53.  Clapham Junction	69%
54.  Oxford	67%
55.  Gatwick Airport	66%
56.  Glasgow Queen Street	58%

Transport Focus spoke to 28,940 passengers at Britain’s rail stations between September and November 2017 as part of the National Rail Passenger Survey.

Results are based on the 56 stations where at least 100 people responded.