Trains services are at their least reliable in 17 years, according to official figures, with around one in 22 services severely disrupted or cancelled in the last three months of 2018.

The latest figures from the Office of Rail and Road show that the national reliability measure, which records the proportion of trains that were significantly disrupted or cancelled, is at the highest level since 2001.

The data also showed that the overall punctuality of British rail services had slumped in the three months to last December compared with the same period in 2017.

The proportion of trains that were late stood at the worst level in 13 years, with around one in seven trains delayed by at least five minutes.

The decline in punctuality was mainly attributed to the timetable change in May 2018, which caused disruption during the summer, with Northern Rail services the worst hit.

The most stressful Tube stations Show all 15 1 /15 The most stressful Tube stations The most stressful Tube stations 15. Bond Street Data on the most stressful tube stations was compiled by PowWowNow Getty The most stressful Tube stations 14. Piccadilly Circus LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 26: Commuters exit Picadilly Circus underground station as the Piccadilly Circus lights are switched back on after a nine month renovation on October 26, 2017 in London, England. The new Piccadilly Circus lights advertising boards replace a patchwork of screens with a single 4K LED digital screen, the largest of its kind in Europe. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) Getty The most stressful Tube stations 13. Tottenham Court Road EDITORIAL USE ONLY Customers at Tottenham Court Road Underground station, as a new IKEA Planning Studio opens today on Tottenham Court Road, and is the retailer's first step towards a new city centre approach. PA The most stressful Tube stations 12. Green Park London, England - July 31, 2010: The roundel, the white-red-blue logo of the London Underground has been in use since 1908. Each station displays the Underground logo, often containing the station's name Getty The most stressful Tube stations 11. Canary Wharf File photo dated 11/01/2013 of commuters passing through the ticket barriers at Canary Wharf Underground station in London. PA The most stressful Tube stations 10. Euston LONDON - JANUARY 16: A passenger reads a news paper on board a London tube train at Euston Underground tube station on January 16, 2007 in London, England. The cost of travelling around the British capital is now the most expensive in the world with a rise of 33%. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images) Getty The most stressful Tube stations 9. Paddington Closed gates at London's Paddington Underground Station as a 24-hour strike by Tube workers continued to cripple Tube services and cause travel chaos for millions of commuters. PA The most stressful Tube stations 8. London Bridge Passengers wait outside London Bridge underground station in central London, on the first day of a 48 hour strike by tube workers on the London Underground over ticket office closures. PA The most stressful Tube stations 7. Liverpool Street People leave Liverpool Street station, London, as commuters and tourists face a day of travel chaos because of a strike which has closed the underground. PA The most stressful Tube stations 6. Oxford Circus People queue at an entrance to Oxford Circus station, London, as workers try to get home before a strike by Underground workers closes the capital's entire Tube system. PA The most stressful Tube stations 5. Victoria Passengers wait on the east bound platform of the District Line at Victoria Station, London, as commuters suffered travel chaos today after a strike on London Underground caused gridlock on roads and massive disruption on Tubes and buses. PA The most stressful Tube stations 4. Waterloo People queue for buses at London's Waterloo Station as Underground workers in the capital continued a 24-hour strike which crippling Tube services and causing travel chaos for millions of passengers. PA The most stressful Tube stations 3. Stratford Commuters squeeze onto an underground train at Stratford station. PA The most stressful Tube stations 2. Bank LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 13: Commuters leave Bank Station, near the Bank of England, as they head to the financial district on March 13, 2017 in London, England. Reports suggest that Article 50 could be triggered this week, beginning the process that will take Britain out of the European Union. British Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to begin the procedure by the end of March. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) Getty The most stressful Tube stations 1. King's Cross Commuters arrive at King's Cross Underground station during the London Underground workers strike over planned job cuts and ticket office closures as talks aimed at resolving the dispute will be held tomorrow, but a crippling strike will continue today. PA

Govia Thameslink was also hit by the timetable changes. Weather factors such as snow and leaves on the line also had an impact on punctuality.

In its scathing report on the botched introduction of new timetables in May last year, the Transport Select Committee said that “around a fifth of rail passengers have suffered appalling services and been very badly let down by the whole system”.

Commenting on the figures, Alex Hayman, Which? managing director of public markets, said: “The appalling disruption over the past year has had a devastating impact on passengers’ lives – leaving almost half of commuters feeling stressed and trust in the industry chronically low.”

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

“If the Government’s rail review is to restore trust in the system, it must listen to the concerns of these passengers, which have too often been an afterthought.

“The industry should not wait to make improvements and should roll out automatic compensation across the network so all passengers get the money they are owed for delays and cancellations.”