One in five passengers expect to get a poor rail service
Late trains, overcrowded carriages and poor service are simply an inevitable part of life, according to one in five rail passengers.
A new study found long term issues have resulted in 'high levels of disillusionment,' as complaints about shoddy rail services increased by 31 per cent to two million last year.
Punctuality, poor customer service and overcrowding were the most common complaints found in the survey of 2,477 people conducted by dispute resolution organisation Ombudsman Services.
Late trains, overcrowded carriages and poor service are simply an inevitable part of life, according to one in five rail passengers
The survey's depressing findings reflect recent figures published by regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) showing that the rate of passenger complaints per 100,000 journeys between July and September last year was 13 per cent higher than the same period in 2015.
Commuters in London can spend £387 on a monthly rail pass, roughly 14 per cent of the average British wage, an Action for Rail report published in January revealed.
According to Campaign for Better Transport's Lianna Etkind, late and overcrowded trains can 'genuinely blight' the lives of commuters who pay thousands for the service.
She added: 'Regulators need to ensure that when people complain about their train service, they aren't just fobbed off with a copy and paste response but that real action is taken.'
Rail passengers with a complaint must contact the relevant train operator in the first instance, before going to Transport Focus or London TravelWatch if they are not happy with the response.
Conservative MP Tim Loughton introduced a Bill to Parliament calling for a simplified rail ombudsman scheme that would hit train operators with harsher financial penalties to act as an incentive to improve services.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said more than £40billion was being invested to improve Britain's railways.
A DfT spokesman added: 'The Department for Transport monitors the performance of all train companies against a number of areas, including delays, cancellations and short formation of trains.
'There are penalties for those who do not meet the desired standards.'
A new study found long term issues have resulted in 'high levels of disillusionment,' as complaints about shoddy rail services increased by 31 per cent to two million last year
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators and Network Rail, accepted passengers were not getting the service they expected on some parts of the network and noted that punctuality was an issue in London and the South East due to congestion, industrial action and upgrade work.
A spokesman added: 'The long-term trend is one of falling complaints from rail passengers but we know we must do better which is why we're delivering a raft of improvements.'
Customers in Britain made an estimated 55million complaints to all businesses last year, six per cent more than 2015, the Ombudsman Services study found.
Retail was the most commonly moaned about sector, with 24 per cent of complaints, followed by telecoms at 13 per cent, energy with 10 per cent then transport at seven per cent.
Almost a fifth of people said they have complained about problems before but nothing had changed.
Chief ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith said: 'Consumers feel that complaining is often a waste of their time, because they see no change in the behaviour of big business.'