IT’S disappointing that a train company operating out of Huddersfield has fared badly in a consumer satisfaction survey.

Northern Rail was rated just 49 out of 100 by consumer organisation Which?

Although some train companies were praised, comments described others as “cattle carts’’ and passengers cited “overcrowded trains, erratic punctuality and poor value for money.’’

It just seems that the trains in the UK constantly struggle to reach a consistent and acceptable standard. After all, First TransPennine Express notched up a better score yet even then it was only 54 out of 100.

In these days when the roads are clogged and the M62 commuter journey from Leeds to Huddersfield is a stop start nightmare for many – with more stops than starts – the fact that people aren’t flocking to the railways says it all.

They have to be affordable, punctual, clean and not overcrowded. Yet it seems they are still some way off that goal.