CrossCountry ranked worst rail operator in Britain by The Telegraph with 'serious overcrowding issues'

A new listing released by The Telegraph that ranks the country’s biggest rail operators from worst to best, will no doubt be pored over by railway users.

While the talk of nationalisation rumbles on, it is pertinent to note that many railway tracks in the country are old.

Add to this, the confusion around ticket options, delays and cancellations impacting services, overcrowding, often substandard toilet facilities, lack of food options aboard, and the cost to travel - it is easy to appreciate why people may be dissatisfied by rail services.

At the top of the list is Merseyrail that came in at number 1, and the best rail operator according to The Telegraph. Conversely, at the bottom of the list is CrossCountry services that came in at number 20.

West Midlands Railway came in at number 8 jointly with London Northwestern with 31.5/50.

CrossCountry operates the most extensive train network in Britain, with services connecting major cities and key destinations across England, Scotland, and Wales.

Their routes span from the north of Scotland to the southwest of England, serving destinations like Aberdeen, Penzance, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol, and Cardiff.

With Birmingham as a central hub, CrossCountry connects many of the UK's largest cities.

Here is The Telegraph’s full list from worst to best, of all train operators

The Telegraph calculated points covering service reliability, frequency and punctuality.

Under the price category, passenger feedback and value for money was taken into account.

Included in the comfort category, was ease of use for passengers, Wi-Fi, power sockets, air conditioning and food availability on board.

The practicalities category considered ease of website use, and how easy it was to get a refund.

Under the destinations and stations section, the ‘scenic potential for window gazers’ the number of UNESCO locations, cultural spots and resorts was taken into account.

20. CrossCountry 23/50

19. TransPennine Express 24/50

18. Great Northern 25/50

17. Southern 26/50

16. Govia Thameslink Railway 27/50

15. C2c 28/50

14. Northern Trains 29/50

13. South Western Railway 29.5/50

12. East Midlands Railway 30/50

11. Southeastern 30/50

10. London Overground (Arriva Rail London) 30.5/50

9. Chiltern Railways 31/50

8. West Midlands Railway/London Northwestern 31.5/50

7. Greater Anglia 32/50

6. Avanti West Coast 32/50

5. London North Eastern Railway 32.5/50

4. Transport for Wales 33/50

3. Great Western Railway 34/50

2. ScotRail 34.5/50

1. Merseyrail 37/50