Rail commuters from south-east England into London are most likely to have their journeys delayed, according to a new report.

They are also most likely to be unhappy with their service, the poll of 7,309 travellers suggested.

The report by consumer association Which? was based on responses from commuter and leisure travellers based on journeys they had taken in the 12 months ending November 2014.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which runs train services through St Albans, had the worst passenger satisfaction of all rail companies in the UK, with 33 per cent of passengers reporting a delay on their last journey, compared to 14 per cent for c2c.

The criteria for the survey included availability of seating, cleanliness of toilets and carriages, punctuality and value for money.

Travellers were also asked if they had experienced a delay on the last journey they had taken with their train company.

Three quarters of those held up for more than an hour said they were not told that this meant they qualified for a full refund.

St Albans Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington said: "This must come as no surprise.

"Yet it relates to survey work conducted in November 2014 so does not even include the horrible performance record of 2015.

"It also flatters Thameslink since the figures combine customer satisfaction for the Thameslink route through St Pancras with the relatively smoothly functioning Great Northern service out of Kings Cross also operated by GTR.

"We are seeing a railway company in denial – with continuing failures to communicate and a compensation mechanism which still fails to recognise the grinding waste of time created by constant failure to deliver the timetable."

Katherine Cox said on behalf of GTR: "We know these scores aren't good enough but late-running trains on a busy commuter service underlies – and undermines – all we do.

"That’s why we're determined to make things better for our passengers by working with Network Rail and other industry partners to deliver an improvement plan for better punctuality. The Great Northern route is already 10% better year on year.

"We’re also bringing in four new fleets of modern trains – the first have already started service on our Thameslink route – smartcard ticketing, better timetables, free Wi-Fi at 104 of our busiest stations and, by 2018, 10,000 extra seats into central London."

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said long delays and consistently low levels of customer service were "driving commuters to distraction".

He added: "Passengers often have little or no choice as to the rail companies they travel with, so as ticket prices continue to rocket, more must be done to improve customers' satisfaction and to inform people of their right to a refund as a result of delays."

Rail Minister Claire Perry said: "As part of our long-term economic plan, we are investing record amounts in the rail network in order to give passengers better journeys.

"It is vital that, as the industry delivers these essential improvements for the future, it does everything it can to minimise disruption in the present.

"We expect the industry to provide the best possible customer experience every day. When things go wrong unexpectedly, it must ensure passengers are kept informed about the compensation they are entitled to."

The report by Which? follows the National Rail Passenger Survey, where GTR was singled out for operating among the worst trains, providing the worst toilet facilities and operating some of the least punctual services.