Gatwick's Express has been named the country's worst airport train service.

This is according to a survey commissioned by consumer group Which? It showed the line achieved a customer score of 60 per cent. This fell considerably below the result achieved by the highest-performing Virgin Trains railway in Birmingham, which recorded an approval rating of 87 per cent.

Passengers complained the service was too expensive, costing  £19.90 for a one-way journey lasting half an hour. It only received two out of a possible five stars in terms of value for money. This is compared to the £2.40 Virgin charges for an anytime day single ticket from New Street to the airport and the £3.20 travellers have to pay to ride the Tyne and Wear Metro to Newcastle Airport from the city.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd commented: "There are unacceptably wide differences in the levels of customer satisfaction for airport trains, with many people especially unhappy about the high cost of some express services."

Meanwhile, the Docklands Light Railway was the highest performing line in the capital. Its trains to London City were popular in terms of frequency and price.