National Rail Reviews 

This is a truly abysmal service. Twice in the last three weeks we have been left stranded in London as the line to Reading and beyond has been closed. Whilst the closures are not necessarily the fault of the train companies and operators the resilience of the rail network is clearly zero. Staff, if you can find them, are obviously not briefed at all and are left floundering. The provision of rail replacement busses either does not happen or is woefully inadequate and information on any number of train-related websites is inconsistent and usually wrong (giving false hope in some cases).
I suspect that this 'service' best serves unions and investors and opposed to passengers.
When everything works it's expensive and crowded and the operators are happy to sell you a ticket regardless of whether there is space on a train or not.
If you are going long-distance you are usually cheaper to hire a car. Getting a train is an expensive gamble.

Ticket prices are way too expensive, condition of trains are filthy, rail services are unpredictable but generally poor, it's cheaper to run a car, insuring, taxing and fueling a car doesn't cost £320 a month as this is the price of a monthly rail card absolutely disgraceful if I could mark a zero I would, privatisation needs to end and stop running circles round customers

As anyone else who uses national rail completely shocked at the whole system. This day and age it’s completely unacceptable. Efficiency, cost, organisation, customer satisfaction, infrastructure, cleanliness the list goes on as to the many failing areas. Not fit for purpose.

Fraudulently claiming that train fares are "frozen until March 2027". If this is true, why have they scrapped the off peak return to Shrewsbury (£13.50), leaving only the £15 return ticket option? Just another way of making life more difficult than it already is for rural commuters. Also, I have noticed trains being cancelled/severely delayed a lot more in recent weeks, so paying more for much worse services. Disgusting company.

Even though my train was cancelled a member of your staff made me feel at ease on how I would get home with my kids and was a credit to you the staff members name is Kane and if I could give more stars I would

Old, tired, uncomfortable train for a very long journey. No toilets working, the one i found i got locked in, couldn't get the doors open.
For the amount you pay for the journey I am disgusted with this service. Won't be using your company again!!!

Shocking by all accounts. Delayed on my previous journey the day before by 3 hours. Then the following day, hundreds of people in every coach therefore missed my platform and found myself delayed by a further 30 minutes. This shouldn't be a paid service

There has been a train derailment in Sussex so I phoned about alternative routes I could take to London. The operative in India told me I had to use my single advance ticket on original route as she utterly clueless about the train lying on its side. Seriously? I had to say no, there are no trains on original route as a train is derailed, 3 carriages in a field, track damaged, and no trains running that way for quite a while yet!
Whether a call centre is based in the uk or India, this is quite a major incident! Still couldn’t advise me by end of call of what alternative routes I could use.

Incompetents and analphabets.

Look at this : "This service has been delayed because of train crew being delayed by service disruption"

Stuck in Huddersfield yesterday. Ticket office closed down told by rail staff to get a bus! To Manchester. Where?

Rubbish services. Rude staff. Expensive cost.old and uncomfortable trains.that is Rubbish. Number one national rail or even underground services from the end.Middle Eastern countries doing a better services. I advise them to close down all the train companies at least people will find an easier and more reliable way to do.there is not any manager to check or see what is going on.
Avoid to use england Trains and underground. It's my everyday experience

Wow I travled from Leicester to Chelmsford in Essex and was not sure if the journey would go smoothly. Well thanks to a lot of staff at 2 stations and the underground also it could not have went smoother. Thanks guys

I regularly travel from Liverpool to Manchester for work, and trains are delayed by more than 15 minutes far too often. These delays make it difficult to get to work on time.

What’s even more frustrating is that claiming compensation through Trainline is often unavailable for delayed trains, while it’s much easier to claim when a train is cancelled. This isn’t just on the Liverpool–Manchester route—it seems to be a common problem across many train services.

What a shambles our rail "service " is. Train delayed, then cancelled. Children waiting to go to Ilkley ludo then forced to wait standing for another half hour and that's providing that even arrives! Every time I travel on trains I'm seeing delayed or cancelled frequently. Why are British trains run so appallingly?! I've travelled in Europe and they're spot on. Perhaps it's time to take a leaf out of Japan's book and start fining companies. I appreciate there can be people on the tracks but most of the time that's not the issue.

The price of tickets is ridiculous. I am English and lived in London for many years, now living in the US. I come back often to see family and friends and have chosen to use public transport instead of renting a car my last few trips. It used to be more economical and relaxing after a long flight and I enjoyed letting the train take the strain. I may not be doing this in future. How can a journey that is less than a 2 hours range between £50-£88 one way, just a crazy price?! I have always booked advance tickets in the past but have found that stressful with flight delays, being tied to one train. Also with all the different ticket operators now nothing is integrated. The overhaul that is underway can’t come soon enough. Even in the ticket office I was met with unhelpful, limited advice because they were only able to focus on one aspect of available travel.

There is no customer service! The most useless unfriendly lot ever

This company has more faults and delays than any travel company I know of. I have had more delays with trains than ever this year so far 2026. Enough delays for people to realise that trains are NOT a good choice of transportation. Let's all cause more problems and damage towards climate change by just travelling in cars as its obvious this company can't get their act together. Cancellation should be the name of their CEO.

Of course wanting to take a train once in a blue moon from Northampton to Rugby on 12/06/2026, all trains are cancelled and replacement buses are used so the journey takes 3 times as long and the price is of course the same.

I had the pleasure of using British RAIL for a trip going from Stockport to Milton Keynes.
I needed assistance and how spot on the porters ( sorry if this is not the correct name) were. Top shout out to a young man at Manchester Station. My cousin was with me to get me on the train. The porter took my suitcase to the area where the carriage number stops on the platform. He waited till the train came, put my luggage in the rack, took me to my seat and wished me a pleasant and safe journey. Then he went looking for my cousin to inform her that I was in my seat and settled on the train, and he had already contacted Milton Keynes to make sure I had assistance when I arrived. When the train arrived in Milton Keynes there was a porter waiting right outside my carriage door, to helped me off the train and to get my luggage. I was walked all the way to outside the station, where my ride was waiting for me.
Absolutely recommend British Rail for anyone needing assistance. Star Service.

Their help team do not help. They cancel trains, provide no help. Had to wait 6 hours.....