Rail companies' reasons for train delays or cancelled services are "repetitive" and "woolly", passengers have told an independent report.
Many also believe the reasons given are just "excuses" according to research undertaken by watchdog Passenger Focus and train company Southern Rail, published on Thursday.
“If a train’s delayed you’re thinking, what now, is it a leaf?" a passenger was quoted by the report as saying.
Another said: “It’s always signal failure … well why don’t you get a new system?”
Once caught up in a problem, passengers wanted to know how long they will be delayed in order to judge the impact on their day and plan ahead. Rail staff were sometimes judged to be unsympathetic and stand-offish to passengers' situations according to the study, which based its findings on surveys with 64 people.
“I found that most members of staff that I’ve approached, you feel they automatically have their back up that you’re going to have a confrontation with them," one explained.
A spokesperson for Railfuture, an independent campaign group for better rail networks said the results were surprising:
"I would expect people to be more concerned about overcrowding and fares, but it's human nature for people to want more information and honesty. I wasn't aware that there was a problem with dishonesty!"
Emma Toms, Southern’s Head of Customer Experience said: “We fully recognise that comprehensive, timely and accurate information is what our passengers want, particularly in times of disruption. We are working hard on delivering this and I am confident our passengers will see a marked difference in future.”