SWR Help Recensioni 

Deliberately frustrating and long winded forms, a website that takes you back to the start so feels like you’re getting nowhere. It sounds like a great idea but clearly designed to get you to give up. Appalling really!

Ferry 20mins early, but can’t get on the earlier train because my ticket states the next train, it was half empty. Customer service and SWR are polar opposites 😔😔

Purchased two first class tickets. Not only do they not offer any complimentary drinks but really shocked to find there isn't even a buffet to buy a drink!! The carriage is also cold. POOR SERVICE SWR!
Will never waste my money on SWR again.

I travelled to Gatwick airport on 21st Jan and returned on 31st Jan and used the assistance for my age and heavy suitcase. Brilliant service both ways especially at Clapham junction where I had to change to southern trains for Gatwick. Worked like clockwork and lovely operatives.

If I could give no stars, I would.

Consistently one of the worst rail franchises currently in operation. Their recent re-nationalisation hasn't improved the situation. If anything, it's worse.
I'm a regular commuter into London (from zone 4) and trains are routinely cancelled and delayed at the last minute. The last few weeks alone I've had to alter my commuting plans and use their delay repay service multiple times.
This is not a service.
If I don't work, I don't get paid. Perhaps SWR should extend that practice to their own staff.

South Western Railway decided to remove the female communal toilet space at Southampton Central Station, and has created a narrow dead-end hallway with single toilet rooms, which creates assault risks for females. Female parents who are looking after children, and need a space where their 8 year old child can wait outside the cubicle in a female area, while the mother attends to her personal hygiene. Now the child either has to wait alone the main station area (unsafe) or be in small contained toilet room while her mother is dealing with her period. They say that as they upgrade other station toilets, they are going to do the same there. Also all the toilets have been out of use at Southampton Station for days. I would guess that the plumbing design for the toilets there is contributing to the closure of all the toilets at that station. It's really appalling that a major station doesn't have available working toilets, one could have to be at the station quite early due to transport connections and really need a toilet. And it is now publicly owned, they really need to step up!

One by one, trains were canceled, and the next train was delayed by nearly 40 minutes and not guaranteed at all. My wife lost nearly two hours at the cold Woking station, and I lost two hours of travel and fuel. And no refund as delayed train reached Woking station before me. SWR you are a failure

i went to Southampton on the 18th January 2026 and named person from Southampton central station member of staff put a rubbish bag over my head i have reported it to south western railway but no response and i reported it to btp but not receive conformation on them yet and south western railway told me today at 14:54 that they just reopened the case so all this time they closed the case without telling me and no apologise or compensate me at all.

Trains from Waterloo are consistently delayed, crowded and overpriced

As usual rubbish! Simple train journey from Petersfield to London Waterloo. Signal issue, always something! Delayed by over 30 minutes, still not arrived to Waterloo.

Guard just says now compensation claimable for “delay repay” but after so many years travelling, THE issue is how lousy this pathetic service continues to be and nothing ever improves! Sort it out!!!

Just had a lovely conversation with the ticket inspector about Southampton uni which really made me and my brothers days. Didn't get his name sadly but it was on the 11.35am train to Weymouth today.

I was physically grabbed and restrained by a MAST security guard contracted by South Western Railway over a 26–30 Railcard ticket issue. I am a 5ft 3 young woman, and SWT later told me this was “minimal and proportionate force.”

SWT has access to body-worn camera footage, CCTV at the station, and statements from other staff members who had to ask the guard to let me go, yet they have still chosen to accept no responsibility for how I was treated. They could not even offer an apology for leaving me feeling unsafe at my own local station, due to the actions of someone they employ.

No ticket dispute justifies physically handling a passenger. What’s just as troubling is how my complaint was handled — dismissive and defensive, focused on protecting the company rather than acknowledging harm.

I’m sharing this to raise awareness. If this is considered acceptable conduct, passengers should be concerned. People deserve to feel safe, respected, and heard on public transport.

I am a season ticket holder wirh SWR but often wonder should I travel a bit further into london and get the tube. Their services are often delayed or cancelled so they do not need to pay the penalty or compensation. I feel for the majority of their staff, who are good and have to deal with the complaints. To finish off all I can say is that the cost to travel on swr is extortionate compared to the service

Spent the last week travelling around Europe and every train was on time.
Get back to the uk and all goes wrong.
SWR cannot get anyone anywhere.
USELESS

My train to Gillingham in Dorset has been cancelled with no explanation. Zero information at Waterloo about how to take an alternative route . Staff incredibly rude and unhelpful. Currently standing in a train to Basingstoke (I have a first class ticket but what's the point). I have no idea what happens when I get to Basingstoke. A shocking and pathetic performance all round. The senior management of SW Trains should hang their heads in shame in providing such an appalling level of service. The only person who has been at all helfpul (and polite) is the guard on the train. I suggest you sack your head of client services and promote the guard in their place. Generally if you wanted a Business School study of how not to deliver client service, this would be an excellent case study.

I am writing to formally raise a complaint regarding the handling of a ticketing issue involving my son.

I purchased a ticket for my autistic son to travel from Stansted to visit me in Dorset. At the time of purchase, the website was unclear, and I did not understand that a separate underground ticket was required for part of the journey. As a result, my son was missing only the underground portion of the ticket.

Despite this being a genuine mistake, he was subsequently sent multiple letters containing threats of court action. Given his autism and existing mental health difficulties, these letters caused him significant distress and anxiety. He found the process overwhelming and struggled to engage with it independently.

He was later issued a further demand for £168.00, which I have now paid solely to bring the matter to an end and prevent further harm to his mental health — not because I believe the charge was fair or proportionate.

I am extremely concerned by the lack of consideration shown for vulnerable passengers and the aggressive nature of the correspondence sent in response to what was clearly an administrative misunderstanding. I would appreciate confirmation that the matter is now closed and details of how complaints of this nature are reviewed, particularly where disability and mental health are involved.

SWR works fine if you treat it like international air travel.
I use it to go to work so it is useless and I’ve not been home on time since the weather was exactly right - but it’s fine if you don’t have timescales or a job or want to use the service to get somewhere on time etc.

Got to Waterloo last night at 1055pm went to platform 24 to catch the 2320 to Reading service to Twickenham.
Asked a member of platform staff to help me get on the train as I am disabled and in a mobility scooter. He told me to wait by the trains disabled door. I waited 20mins whilst he walked up and down the opposite platform and he also stood talking to 3 other platform staff members no one came. 2 passengers spoke to him and he walked down to the middle of the train and found the train guard and started to shout at him (2319) he then walked up and just walked passed me. The guard came up and got me on the train and was very angry that the platform staff left me sitting on the platform and not putting me on the train when it's their job to do this. Waterloo platform staff are rubbish when traveling to the station there is no one there to meet the train to get you off the train even when you book platform assistantace. I feel SWR need to talk to their platform staff and remind them of their job and to help the disabled get on and off the train. Last week I met a young disabled women at Waterloo who told me she has the same issue with platform staff who just don't want to help her get on and off the train.

On a day like today when there was trouble in Wimbledon and a tree on the track. You can’t expect the trains to run well and on time. The driver on the delayed service from Guildford to Waterloo (which got in around 18:40, an hour late) was courteous, explained why, and did everything in his power to communicate effectively. This company gets a lot of heat, and a lot of time it can be quite unreliable, but on this occasion I want it out there that I’m impressed with the calm demeanour and politeness of the staff at Guildford Train Station and on the train itself.

Fraudulent train operator.