Southern vs Trainline: most-reported complaints compared
Most-reported issues at Southern and Trainline, according to reviewers on Trustpilot — classified by our automated reader and backed by verbatim quotes from distinct reviews. This is a side-by-side of what reviewers report, not a score, rating or recommendation for either company.
Southern
TrustScore 1.6 · 1,012 reviews on Trustpilot.
113 reviews analysed, 2025-12-15 to 2026-10-28.
Complaint rate (recent window): 84%
0% of negative reviews get a company reply.
“Totally fed up with having to endure another cold bus journey because you can not be bothered to actually run the trains”
Trainline
TrustScore 4.1 · 157,960 reviews on Trustpilot.
4,315 reviews analysed, 2026-07-26 to 2026-11-11.
Complaint rate (recent window): 22%
96% of negative reviews get a company reply.
“My train was delayed then cancelled wasn't notified about it ahead of time”
Reported on both
Issues with an evidenced category (at least two verbatim quotes) on both sides.
| Issue | Southern | Trainline |
|---|---|---|
| Poor core service | 70% | 24% |
| Support unhelpful | 16% | 16% |
| Refund refused | 12% | 11% |
| Other | 7% | 16% |
Method: reviews are classified into a fixed complaint taxonomy by an automated reader; every category shown is backed by at least two verbatim quotes from distinct reviews. Figures are census classifications, not official statistics, and reflect what reviewers reported — not findings of wrongdoing by either company. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Trustpilot A/S, Southern or Trainline.