SATISFACTION among rail passengers across the south is on the rise, according to latest figures.

The first survey by the South West Trains-Network Alliance has revealed that 85 per cent of passengers are satisfied with their train service.

One of the biggest increases related to how well delays were dealt with.

Satisfaction in this area increased by a significant seven per cent year on year, putting South West Trains five per cent above the sector average.

Praise was also given to the state of station facilities, which saw a 12 per cent rise.

South West Trains, the UK's busiest commuter train operator, welcomed the results from the independent survey.

Tim Shoveller, managing director of the South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance, said: “It is good news to see that satisfaction with our services has improved and we are determined to continue working hard to improve these scores even further.

“It's clear that this joint Alliance - which is a first for the UK rail industry - is starting to have an impact on the service we deliver to our passengers.

“These results, which provide independent views from our passengers, really do help us to focus on the areas of improvement needed and we will continue to target these areas to meet the needs of our passengers.”