Passengers have given Kent's two train operators the lowest satisfaction ratings in the country, according to a survey.

Southeastern saw its overall passenger satisfaction rating for the last six months drop by 6% to 75%, making it the third worst performer of all companies.

Bad weather is being cited as one of the main reasons for the drop.

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The National Rail Passenger Survey, which is carried out by Transport Focus, provides a network-wide picture of customers’ satisfaction with rail travel.

It collects opinions of train services twice a year from a representative sample of passenger journeys.

According to the latest findings, Southeastern saw its overall rating fall to 75% for the survey carried out in the spring.

Southern, which also operates services in Kent, saw its rating by passengers fall by 3% to 69%, making it the UK's joint-worst performer with TfL Rail.

It has been beset by a long-running industrial dispute over driver-only operated trains.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: “In the middle of widespread disruption on the roads, buses and elsewhere during the recent bad weather parts of the rail industry did well to run trains at all, let alone to a timetable.

“We’re obviously disappointed in this score but given the survey period covered a period of unusually severe winter weather, and restrictions that meant our onboard cleaning standards suffered..." - David Statham, Southeastern

"Inevitably, passenger satisfaction was also buffeted by the weather.

"However, overall, looking at this 10-week period we saw more general rail performance still under stress.

"A reliable railway remains the key driver of passenger satisfaction.”

When it came to punctuality, passenger satisfaction fell by 4% to 67% and on fare prices, just one in three - 34% - said they represented value for money.

Southeastern rail chiefs said the findings were disappointing. It follows an 11% rise in satisfaction ratings in the previous survey.

David Statham, managing director of Southeastern said: “We’re obviously disappointed in this score but given the survey period covered a period of unusually severe winter weather, and restrictions that meant our onboard cleaning standards suffered.

"We understand that our passengers have held us to the higher standards that we’d set, leading up to this.

“In the previous survey period our satisfaction score jumped 11 percentage points – the biggest leap for any train company, ever – and despite significant challenges, in the past six months we’ve continued to deliver the best punctuality seen in the history of the railway in Kent and East Sussex.

“Southeastern successfully introduced the May 2018 timetable, but clearly there have been significant challenges on the wider railway.

"Wherever possible, we’re working together with our partners to deal with those issues.”

“We’re always trying to do more for our passengers, constantly investing in our people and our service to provide better journeys.

"Local communities rely on Southeastern trains every day, and businesses recognise the role that the railway plays in helping grow local economies across Kent.

"Three quarters of Southeastern's passengers are satisfied with our service – but we know that there’s always more we can and will do to deliver a better railway.”