Rail passengers across England are for the first time being shown how often trains are cancelled and delays at individual stations under what Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is hailing as a “new era of rail accountability.”
Figures released show the equivalent of more than one in 25 services cancelled in the year to the beginning of February
217,000 services were cancelled last year — while a further 165,000 were part-cancelled, meaning they did not serve at least one of their scheduled stops. The figures equate to around 4 per cent of the total number of trains that ran during the year.
Three of the four worst performing operators provide services in the North West
The operator with the highest cancellations score was CrossCountry at 7.36 per cent. Avanti West Coast had the second-highest cancellations score at 7 per cent, followed by Northern Train (5.97 per cent) and Govia Thameslink Railway (5.45 per cent).
The English station with the highest percentage of cancellations was Ince and Elton in Cheshire, where more than one in five trains were cancelled.This was followed by Gathurst in Wigan where 16 per cent of trains were cancelled
All three stations are served by Northern Rail
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:
Today marks the beginning of a new era of rail accountability.
These displays are a step towards rebuilding trust with passengers using our railways as we continue to tackle the root causes of frustrating delays and cancellations.
Through fundamental rail reform, we’re sweeping away decades of dysfunctionality – putting passengers first, driving growth through connectivity as part of this government’s Plan for Change.
Each station’s data can also be found on the ORR’s new data portal, which contains punctuality and reliability information for all stations in Great Britain. The online data is also screen reader compatible for those with accessibility needs.
The screens also display a short commentary on work underway by the operators and Network Rail to improve performance, informing and assuring passengers of the ongoing work across their area to improve the reliability and efficiency of services.
Jacqueline Starr, Chair and Chief Executive of Rail Delivery Group, said:
We know how frustrating it is for customers when their train is cancelled or delayed. By being transparent with this data and the positive actions we’re taking, it shows how serious the industry is in putting this right by continuing to strive for improvements.
This sends a clear message to customers the rail sector is committed to improving punctuality and to find solutions to make train services more reliable.
