Which train operating company is the best in the UK?

Question

Have you had any positive experiences with a particular train operating company?

Answer 1

The only 99% one is Stagecoach on the Isle of Wight

Answer 2

South West Trains,  they have won : "Operator Of The Year 2006.."

Answer 3

An unpopular answer, but I'd rate Central Trains cross-city line as a good to excellent service.

Answer 4

Arriva Trains Wales

Answer 5

SOUTH WEST TRAINS. This is because I travel all the time in south west trains and they are always on time, very comfortable seats in all their trains and mainly there is a lot of safety. And their staffs are also very helpful.

Answer 6

Virgin trains are great as are transpenine trains. They both have a variety classes, the virgin trains even have a shop onboard! the staff are great and the seats are roomy

Answer 7

Serco Rail Operations are a great company with a loyal and enthusiastic team of Drivers backed up with the finest operational and management team that it is possible to find in the UK today, along with a fantastic array of traction knowledge and route knowledge throughout the UK. If Carlsberg ran a railway company, this would be it!

Answer 8

Probably South West Trains. They seem to have got their act together rather better than the others. I like Midland Mainline as well though.

Answer 9

chiltern railways have long since had the best performance index i believe, but that's only cos they don't run many trains. i do far prefer doing marylebone - birmingham though rather than the overpriced virgin service from euston.

i've never had anything bad to say about midland mainline either.

Answer 10

I have good experiences with First Great Western, Virgin Trains, Chiltern Trains and Northern Rail.

Answer 11

The answer here has to be London Underground which moves over 3 million passengers each day over a huge network

Answer 12

ScotRail are good.

Answer 13

Wessex were pretty good at quietly getting on with things, they were progressivly sorting their fleet out with some good ideas. However from April the Government merged them into First Great Western and since then the service quality has plumetted.

Just have a look at the live updates on the FGW website for an indication of the problems on the former Wessex routes

South West Trains are superb, comfortable trains, usually clean (I know there is the odd day where they arn't but IME they usually are). SWT seem more willing to invest in noticable service improvements - eg they have just taken delivery of some 2nd hand trains from Transpennine, and are spending £150000 per vehicle to bring them up to their high standards before entering service (unlike FGW who can't be bothered to put a sticker over the old logos)

However I can see more problems coming as the government is now specifying franchises in such minute detail that the train company has no room for improvements (ie its rumoured that the specification for a line in cornwall was a minimum service of 4 trains per day, and a maximum of 4 trains per day - down from 6)

Answer 14

GNER (RIP) have always been good so far as I am concerned, best livery, as well (IMHO) - none of that garish stuff.

Agree about Chiltern also - they have been innovative, in their own quiet way. The services to Brum, Stratford, double tracking north of Risborough etc.

Answer 15

frightliner heavy haul are shite dont work for them cowboys