FEWER than half of rail passengers on the South West Trains network are satisfied ticket prices offer value for money, a new independent survey has found.

According to Transport Focus, just 40 per cent of the 1,951 South West Trains’ passengers surveyed last autumn were happy with the amount they paid for their tickets - compared to 48 per cent nationally.

It comes after South West Trains (SWT) increased fares by one per cent in January - the lowest rise in six years but coming on the back of a succession of inflation-busting fare hikes in recent years.

A standard adult season ticket from Farnham to London Waterloo has risen 11 per cent since 2012 and now costs £3,816. Occasional passengers have also been hit, with the cost of off-peak Travelcards increasing seven per cent to £30.60 over the same period.

The fare hikes coincide with South West Trains becoming the country’s most profitable train operator with income of £1 billion a year giving the Treasury receipts of £374 million last year.

The Transport Focus survey also found 81 per cent of SWT passengers were satisfied with their journeys overall - a slight improvement on the 80 per cent scored six months earlier in spring 2015.

However, this is down on the 85 per cent satisfaction rating in spring 2011 and the national average of 83 per cent last autumn. SWT’s score for commuter satisfaction was even lower at 76 per cent.

Other findings of the survey included:

• Less than a third (30 per cent) of people are satisfied with toilet facilities on trains.

• Just 37 per cent are happy with car parking facilities.

• 78 per cent are pleased with the punctuality and reliability of trains - but just 40 per cent are satisfied with how South West Trains deals with delays.

• 61 per cent feel there is sufficient room for all passengers to sit or stand on trains.

• And only half (50 per cent) of people are happy with the availability of staff on trains, and 55 per cent at stations.

It comes at an unfortunate time for the rail operator, with SWT currently bidding for a 10-year extension to its South West franchise including the Alton line serving Farnham.

Two companies - SWT run by Stagecoach and rival FirstGroup, which currently operates the Great Western Railway and First TransPennine Express networks - have submitted an ‘expression of interest’ for the next South Western Rail area franchise which is proposed to run from 2017 to 2027.

In its submission, SWT has promised to deliver vital investment in new trains and infrastructure to meet further expected passenger growth - with the DofT expecting demand to grow by about 40 per cent by the end of the next South West franchise.

However, the chairman of the Alton Line Users Association (ALUA), David Jones, has expressed scepticism on the operator’s bid, blaming SWT’s poor survey results on already-broken promises to improve services in return for increased fares.

“Satisfaction is down quite simply because SWT hasn’t delivered on its promises,” Mr Jones told The Herald. “Last year SWT said it would be lengthening certain trains for instance the 18:25 from Waterloo to Alton. But last week that train was short-formed from 12 to either eight or four carriages, and one night it was even cancelled.

“It’s fine making promises, but what we need is for things to happen. One of the things SWT was saying last year was when they get all of this new rolling stock and a new timetable, things will improve.

“Well if they don’t then what should the Great British travelling public think about it? People are paying a hell of a lot of money through their noses for a service that’s getting worse and worse and worse.”

In its formal response to the franchise negotiation, ALUA has called on Stagecoach to invest in new infrastructure across the SWT network now.

This includes calls for a return to the double track between Alton and Farnham - withdrawn during the Beeching cuts in the 1960s - which ALUA says would improve punctuality on the Alton line and allow a new direct service to Guildford to be introduced.

ALUA has also called for passenger comfort to be improved, with better access for disabled passengers and the provision of toilets on all longer-distance trains, as well as more station staff especially at off-peak times.

It wants to see a later last train from London on weekdays and improvements throughout the day on Sundays, better connections for onward journeys and bus services, and expansion of car parking.

The association also described ticketing as “a mess”, adding a much simpler set of fares and full integration between the smart card readers that have been installed (but not used) and the London Oyster Card are essential.

Its submission continues: “All too often commuters find their journeys seriously disrupted. Although this is often the result of unavoidable factors outside the control of the industry, the train company should handle them better. Better contingency planning and communication is needed.”

• Responding to the Transport Focus survey, SWT hailed the one per cent year-on-year improvement in overall passenger satisfaction, adding results have improved or remained the same in 30 of the 37 survey categories.

Arthur Pretorius, customer service director for South West Trains, said: “It’s good news that customer satisfaction with our services has increased. This is a credit to our employees who work hard to deliver the best service for our customers.

“We are continuing to make major investment to improve our stations and trains, and the survey results are a clear sign that this is starting to have a real impact on our customers’ journeys.”