Passenger rail service complaints
Quarterly statistics on the volume and cause of complaints made to train operating companies, infrastructure managers and passenger watchdogs along with statistics on how well train operating companies respond to complaints. This data forms part of ORR's core consumer data requirements from train operating companies; more information can be found at ORR core data
For details on how these statistics are compiled, please see our Passenger rail service complaints and delay compensation claims quality and methodology report and for information on any revisions, please see our Revisions Log.
Data and reports that include previous statistical releases on Passenger rail service complaints can be found on the National Archives.
If you have any questions or feedback on these statistics, please contact rail.stats@orr.gov.uk
Passenger satisfaction with complaints handling
We have produced a factsheet on passenger satisfaction with train operators’ complaints handling processes.
Latest statistical release
Passenger rail service complaints 2019-20 Q4
Date published: 25 Jun 2020
Date next published: 29 Oct 2020
Key results
- Nationally there were 30.6 complaints per 100,000 journeys in 2019-20, this represents an increase of 0.5% compared to 2018-19.
- Punctuality/reliability of rail services remained the largest category of passenger complaint in 2019-20. The largest percentage point (pp) increases in 2019-20 compared with 2018-19, was also related to punctuality/reliability (up 1.8 pp).
- Nationally, 94.7% of complaints were closed within 20 working days in 2019-20. A total of 16 out of 23 train operators met the industry requirement to close 95% or more of their complaints within 20 working days.
- Transport Focus closed 827 appeals in 2019-20, an 81.5% decrease compared to 2018-19. The main reason to appeal was related to ticketing and refunds policy, with 29.8% of all appeals.