A TRAIN company providing services between Huddersfield and Sheffield has been slated in a consumer satisfaction survey.

Operator Northern Rail came bottom in some categories among regional train companies with a rating of 49 out of 100 in the survey by consumer body Which?

Northern’s worst star ratings were for the state of repair and cleanliness of its trains and frequency.

Which? said one customer described the trains as “cattle carts”.

But Northern Rail’s passengers did praise staff, improved reliability and punctuality and it scored well for value for money.

The company was 12th overall out of 18 companies surveyed across all categories.

First TransPennine Express, which runs trains linking Huddersfield with major northern towns and cities including Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Hull, scored 54 out of 100 – putting it 11th overall.

The survey painted a mixed picture for UK railways in general – with some passengers experiencing “overcrowded trains, erratic punctuality and poor value for money”.

But Which? said other customers were more satisfied with their rail journeys, showing that “some train companies are getting it right”.

In 37% of the 5,542 journeys, respondents told the magazine about all seats being taken in their carriage.

Also, 29% had stood in the aisles or the doorways between carriages.

The survey, which is based on responses from 4,092 adults, revealed that Virgin Trains, which operates the West Coast line, was considered the best train company.

Next was the London to Tilbury and Southend company c2c, followed by Merseyrail, East Coast – running trains between King’s Cross and Edinburgh via West Yorkshire – and East Midlands Trains.

London Overground was seen as the most improved commuter company with Southeastern as the worst.

These are the customer satisfaction scores for each train company based on a Which? magazine survey.

Scores were based on overall satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending the company to a friend.

A Northern Rail spokeswoman said: “Customer feedback is extremely valuable to us and we find the National Passenger Survey along with extensive independent research important and reliable sources of this information.

“The sample size in this particular survey represents a minute proportion of our total customer base, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. However, we will take these comments on board.”