Report puts First Great Western as country's second worst rail service

First Great Western is second worst service in the country Credit: Nick Ansell/PA Archive/Press Association Images

First Great Western has come out as the second worst rail service in the country for delays, new figures have revealed.

The survey, by consumer watchdog Which?, showed that 33 per cent of those travelling in the West said their journey had been running behind schedule.

The findings come as official figures from the Office of Rail Regulation revealed passengers are ploughing more and more money into the rail industry, largely thanks to fare hikes - while government contribution is dipping.

A financial report revealed income from passengers in 2013/14 was £8.16 billion - a 10.8 per cent rise compared with the figure for 2010/11 and 6.2 per cent higher than in 2012/13.

Meanwhile, government funding for the railways in 2013/14 was just under £3.8bn - a 16.4 per cent drop on 2010/11 and 8.1 per cent down on 2012/13.

First Great Western placed second alongside Thameslink & Great Northern/First Capital Connect, and Southeastern Credit: Nick Ansell/PA Archive/Press Association Images

According to the Which? survey of more than 7,000 passengers, travellers on busy commuter routes were the most dissatisfied with the service received.

First Great Western placed second alongside Thameslink & Great Northern/First Capital Connect, and Southeastern.

Those travelling with Southern experienced the most delays, with 39 per cent of people saying their last journey was late.

Meanwhile, Thameslink and Great Northern/First Capital Connect (TGN/FCC) came bottom of the satisfaction charts, with just 43 per cent of people saying they were pleased with the service.

Overall, 29 per cent of passengers said they had suffered a delay when they last travelled Credit: John Stillwell/PA Wire/Press Association Images

The passengers were asked their views on availability of seating, cleanliness of toilets and carriages, punctuality and value for money, as well as delays.

Overall, 29 per cent of passengers said they had suffered a delay when they last travelled - and three-quarters of those who said they were held up for more than an hour said they were not told they qualified for a full refund.

Campaigners have now called for action on poor customer service.

The Rail Delivery Group said they were investing billions of pounds to improve passengers' satisfaction Credit: Ben Birchall/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Which firm is worst for delays - and which is the best?

  • 2= Thameslink & Great Northern / First Capital Connect 33%

  • 2= Southeastern 33%

  • 2= First Great Western 33%

  • 5= First TranPennine Express 30%

  • 5= Greater Anglia 30%

  • 7= CrossCountry 29%

  • 7= London Overground 29%

  • 7= London Midland 29%

  • 10= Northern Rail 28%

  • 10= Chiltern Railways

  • 10= South West Trains

  • 15= East Coast 23%

  • 15= Virgin Trains 23%

  • 19= First Hull Trains 15%

  • 19= Merseyrail 15%

A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail operators and Network Rail, said: