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London has more mainline rail commuters who believe they don't get value for money than almost every other city in the UK.
Inflation-busting fare rises caused much of the anger, according to a national survey of 30,590 customers by the Passenger Focus watchdog.
Five out of the seven operators recording the lowest level of passenger satisfaction served routes into London. National Express East Anglia recorded the lowest level with 77 per cent.
This was followed by First Capital Connect (80 per cent), Cross Country (82 per cent), and Southeastern, Southern, First Great Western and Northern Rail, which all polled 83 per cent.
Anthony Smith, chief executive of Passenger Focus, said: "Satisfaction with value for money has gone down, illustrating the impact that tough economic times, coupled with fare rises, are having."
Rail fares rose by just under six per cent on average, but in London many rose by eight per cent or more.
Commuters are paying hundreds of pounds more for an annual season ticket to the capital. From Reading, for example, the price rose £216 to £3,800, while from Milton Keynes the rise was £268 to £4,408.
The Government restricted rises this month but increases for next year and 2014 will be three per cent above the Retail Price Index measure of inflation, currently about five per cent.
Another survey revealed commuting now costs an average eight per cent of salaries - rising to 21 per cent. Londoners pay the highest proportion of salary in commuting costs compared to other UK cities, according to the Hay Group global management consultancy.
The average fare rise of 5.9 per cent put the average annual season ticket at £2,028, or eight per cent of the median UK salary of £25,176.
Steve McMillan, of Hay Group, said: "As train fares continue to rise above inflation and salary increases remain subdued, commuting costs are set to take up more of UK employees' pay packets."
Reader views (4)
Privatisation's Multi-layered responsibilities for Train Operating Companies et al, 'lies at the heart' of an over-costly railway-system. The complex-web of divisive contracts is extremely in-efficient, resulting in the bottom-line so badly losing-out.
- Justin Fromm, Primrose Hill, 27/01/2012 12:01
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Whichever party wants to win by a landslide at the next general election should get its beancounters working out how much it would cost to re-nationalize the railways and reduce fares to a decent level again.
Whoever offers that to the nation will win millions of votes, even the LibDems could win!
- ASLEF shrugged, East London, 27/01/2012 04:40
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Where on earth did you get that picture from? It's certainly not a representation of any rush hour train I get on. Although that's presumably if the cameraman did try to take photos on a rush hour train he'd end up with hundreds of pictures of the inside of his own nose from the crushing.
- Bob, Cheam, 26/01/2012 14:05
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the atmosphere on trains in rush hour (southern) is horrid. People are often arguing due to overcrowding.
- serox, London, 26/01/2012 13:47
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