An MP has called for a rail company to compensate season ticket holders because of its “dismal” performance over the past year.

Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois has formally written to Jamie Burles, managing director of Abellio Greater Anglia, requesting that they give a discount to season ticket holders when they renew next year because of what he claims as persistently poor performance by the rail company during 2017.

Mr Francois said he has been in extended correspondence with the company, which in a national survey last month was recorded as generating one of the highest levels of complaints from passengers for any rail company in the country.

The MP says he met with officials from Greater Anglia and challenged them to provide a discount in compensation for the poor service that his constituents had received. South Western trains gave their commuters the equivalent of ten days free travel following a period of closure at Waterloo Station.

Mr Francois said: “My constituents pay several thousand pounds a year to travel into London on Abellio Greater Anglia and there have been so many engineering works, delays and cancellations this year that they are simply not getting value for money.

“The company is developing a poor reputation among Essex commuters and as a way of trying to alleviate this I have suggested that they should give those commuters a discount, to show that they have some appreciation of what their passengers have put up with.

“I very much hope that the company will take this on board, in time for people to renew their season tickets in January 2018.”

Commuters took to the Echo Facebook page to vent their feelings.

Stacy Wright said: “I think season ticket holders should receive a refund not a discount. Their “service” is appalling with constant evening and weekend engineering works.”

Ian Booker added: “I can’t remember a Christmas in the last ten years when there hasn’t been engineering works.”

A Greater Anglia spokesperson said: “We are in contact with Mark Francois about this issue. The railway in East Anglia is undergoing a major transformation to make it fit for future generations. Network Rail is replacing all of the overhead wires on the Southend Victoria line, which are over 60 years old, to make the service more reliable all year round. Unfortunately this work cannot be completed without impacting on trains. However, we always make sure passengers can complete their journeys, even if part of part of it is by bus.

“We have brand new trains on order which will all be fitted with fast wifi, air conditioning.”