Rail passengers using Southeastern trains were among the least happy with the service last year, according to a survey by a campaign group.

The company that runs Kent trains including High Speed One saw its overall passenger satisfaction rating plummet to 74%, a fall of 11% - making it the poorest performing operator of all 23 operators.

The survey was carried out by Passenger Focus between September and November last year and interviewed 27,000 people.

The national average for overall satisfaction was 81%, a drop of 2% on the previous year’s survey.

Southeastern was rated poorest of all 23 rail operators, with rail travellers expressing unhappiness at a range of issues, notably punctuality and over-crowding.

"Many are being let down - fare increases, billions in government investment and promises of improvement don’t seem to be delivering change on the ground" - Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus

On train delays, 72% said they were satisfied with Southeastern’s performance which was 8% down on the same survey conducted in 2013.

On overcrowding, 57% said they felt there was enough room on Kent trains - the lowest figure for all operators.

The company insisted it recognised the issues raised by the survey.

David Statham, managing director for Southeastern, said: “These disappointing scores show just how important a reliable and punctual service is to passengers.”

“We’re committed to improving performance through a robust new timetable, which has seen punctuality improve over the last two to three weeks and a programme of investment in our trains.

We’re also working together with Network Rail to identify the areas for their multi-million pound investment scheme to target to deliver the greatest benefit to passengers.”

Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Passenger Focus, said:

“Rail passengers’ satisfaction is driven by getting trains on time.

"Many are being let down - fare increases, billions in government investment and promises of improvement don’t seem to be delivering change on the ground.

The high profile disruption after Christmas and at London Bridge will only have added to the gloom.”

Only last week, Southeastern said it was happy with services as the biggest timetable change for five years – to accommodate rebuilding work at London Bridge – got underway.

Despite a litany of complaints, the train operator said nearly 92% of its trains had arrived on time in the initial period.