Commuters faced delays, cancellations and overcrowded carriages on the fourth morning of Southern's scaled back timetable.

The underfire rail operator is axing 341 trains a day for a month in an attempt to make services more "resilient", according to passenger services director.

But since the reduced timetable passengers have continued to vent their collective spleen on Twitter, while hundreds of protestors staged a demonstration against the operator at London Victoria station.

This morning, passengers continued to face delays.

When the temporary reduced service was announced last week Southern's passenger services director, Alex Foulds, said the cuts would mean "a better, more consistent service".

He added: “We are introducing this temporary weekday revised timetable with reluctance but it is the best thing we can do for our passengers who have been suffering daily cancellations ever since this dispute with the RMT began, and for which we are sincerely sorry.”

The operator, owned by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), blames high levels of staff sickness as well as industrial action by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union in a dispute over the role of conductors.

But the union said the company was "now way beyond a joke for both passengers and staff alike" and branded it "sickening and cowardly" for point the finger at employees.

@SouthernRailUK hi, 0723 RDH to VIC short formed for 3rd time this week. What happened as I am sure you have plenty of carriages. #Redhill

A survey by regulators at the Office of Rail and Road found that GTR, which also runs Thameslink trains and the Gatwick Express service, had the worst punctuality in the country in the year to March 2016.

Just one in five Southern trains arrived on time in the year to March 2016.

At London Victoria on Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators chanting “Southern Fail” brandished placards reading “We pay, you delay” and “Ban the fat controller” in protest at the operator’s poor service.

Alex Prosser-Snelling, was one of the organisers of the Victoria protest.

He said: "We aren't people who protest normally, but everyone's fed up with the service.

"Southern mismanagement is needlessly wrecking passengers' evenings, interfering with childcare, and stressing out the workforce. Southern needs to get a grip - and if they can't or won't, the Government shouldn't let them run a railway."

For more information and to claim refunds, visit Southern Railway's website.