ScotRail has placed in the bottom half of a UK-wide survey into the rail providers commuters have seen the least improvement in in the past year.

The survey from Which? rated ScotRail on its availability of seats, toilet facilities, punctuality, and condition of the carriages.

Frequency of the trains, availability of standing space, and value for money were also taken into consideration.

The rail provider came out 15th place out of 25.

Alex Hayman, Which? managing director of public markets, acknowledged how fares are on the rise, adding: “But frustrated and long-suffering passengers affected by seemingly never-ending delays, cancellations, and dirty trains don’t feel their services are getting any better.

“The problems don’t stop there. People are also finding it difficult to claim compensation when things go wrong. Automatic compensation must be introduced across the industry so that people can get the money they are owed.”

However, ScotRail insisted that, of the five large operators in the UK - ScotRail, Northern, Southeastern, South Western Railway and Govia Thameslink Railway - ScotRail came out on top.

The national rail provider also emphasises how it operates over 90% of all passenger train services in Scotland - around 2,300 per day.

A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “We always listen to feedback from our customers and do what we can to improve the service we offer.

“The most recent figures show that nine out of ten of our trains met their target time over the past year, which is why ScotRail is the best performing large operator in the UK.

“We have also recently delivered longer trains and more seats on our busiest route. But we aren’t complacent, and will continue to push ourselves to deliver the high standards our customers expect.

“The investment we are making in new and better trains will deliver more seats, faster journeys and better services for our customers. It’s all part of our plan to build the best railway Scotland has ever had.”