Office of Rail and Road reveals number of complaints train passengers made and reasons behind them

The most complained-about train companies have been revealed - and exactly what passengers are angry about. UK rail watchdog, the Office of Rail and Road, has revealed the number of complaints train passengers made and the reasons behind them.

While there was some good news for rail firms - a decrease in complaints between April and September 2024 compared to the year before - some saw a sharp increase in the number of reports.

The Caledonian Sleeper, Avanti West Coast, Lumo and London North Eastern Railway were at the top of the league for complaints received, which totalled more than 158,000 between April and September.

There were 243 registered complaints per 100,000 journeys against Caledonian Sleeper, up 4%, while Avanti West Coast saw 103 complaints per 100,000 journeys, a fall of 21%.

Lumo, meanwhile, received 98 complaints per 100,000 journeys, which was a huge drop on the same period in 2023, down by 50%. LNER recorded 94 complaints per 100,000 journeys, a 21% increase.

Complaint rates (per 100,000) by train operator, April to September 2024

• Caledonin Sleeper - 243
• Avanti West Coast - 103
• Lumo - 98
• London North Eastern Railway - 94
• Grand Central - 66
• Hull Trains - 58
• TfW Rail - 55
• East Midlands Railway - 49
• Great Western Railway - 46
• TransPennine Express - 45
• CrossCountry - 42
• Heathrow Express - 32
• West Midlands Trains - 30
• ScotRail - 19
• Northern Trains - 19
• Southeastern - 17
• South Western Railway - 15
• Greater Anglia - 13
• Govia Thameslink Railway - 11
• c2c - 10
• Chiltern Railways - 8
• Merseyrail - 6
• London Overground - 0.6
• Elizabeth Line - 0.5

Elsewhere, London Overground saw a 45% rise in the rate of complaints, which still only reached 0.6 complaints per 100,000 journeys, while Heathrow Express recorded a 28% increase - 32 complaints per 100,000 journeys.

The Office of Rail and Road data, which spanned April to September 2024, showed the main reasons for complaints were punctuality and reliability, which accounted for 17% of all submissions.

Overcrowding featured in 12.1% of complaints, while the third biggest reason for grievance was over facilities on trains, accounting for 7.7% of moans.