Rail operator Connex has been criticised in a Government report for high travel costs, overcrowding and lateness.

Last year the company recorded average overcrowding of more than ten per cent on some routes.

This means about 38 standing passengers per carriage at certain times.

The report, by the National Audit Office, found fares in Sussex were the second highest in Britain after London, at 25.1p a mile. The cheapest, in Merseyside, was just 11.4p a mile.

Also, one in eight trains on Connex South Central commuter lines did not arrive within five minutes of the carriages, says rail commuter advertised time last year.

The NAO found customer satisfaction was down since privatisation in 1992.

Theatre producer Barry Mishon, a regular rail commuter from Hove to London, said: "Connex encourages people to travel by train but there just aren't enough carriages provided.

"We have to stand there like sardines all the way through the journey. It's extremely unpleasant. Connex doesn't deserve to run the service."

The National Audit Office blamed limited powers and a lack of adequate monitoring by rail authorities for failures to make companies improve services.

The company had not carried out enough station inspections to check on quality and the counting of passengers to assess overcrowding was "infrequent, expensive and unreliable".

David Davis, chairman of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, said: "For passengers, one of the key determinants of the quality of the service is the extent of overcrowding. However, information on this is hopelessly inadequate."

The Government watchdog, the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority, had been too reliant on information provided by Connex itself.

Rail performance had improved only marginally since services were privatised in 1992 but this was inadequate. Higher fines needed to be imposed.

Connex has applied to renew its South Central franchise but is under pressure from rival operator Govia, which is offering to invest £1.5 billion on improvements if it wins.

Connex has promised £1.4 billion extra on services and infrastructure if it is successful.

An SSRA spokesman said it would be imposing tough standards on the winner, to be announced later this month.

A Connex spokesman declined to comment.