10.07.12
Right-time arrivals up by half since 2001
New rail performance data that shows the number of services that arrive within a minute of their scheduled arrival time has been published today. Network Rail is releasing the ‘right-time’ data in a move to make more information available to the public.
During the last ten years, there has been a 50% improvement of trains arriving early or up to 59 seconds after their timetabled arrival, from 47% of services to just under 70%.
If the huge increase in the number of services is accounted for, this represents an 80% increase in right-time arrivals in absolute terms: over 5 million in 2011/12 compared to 2.78 million in 2001/2.
The data includes all trains across the whole network and cancelled services and delays, whether the fault of the rail industry or external factors.
Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s managing director, network operations, said: “We will be open and honest with the public about our performance and the capacity constraints we’re working under, identifying the investment needed to tackle these constraints and continue to grow and develop the railway into a service of which the British people can be proud.”
Transport minister Norman Baker added: “I want passengers to be given clear and simple information on the punctuality of their train services.
“The Coalition Government wants rail travel to be more transparent and that’s why we have worked closely together with the rail industry to ensure these statistics will be published. I will be urging all train operators to go that extra mile and push these figures up even higher.”
ATOC chief executive Michael Roberts said: “Rail passengers now have more information about punctuality in this country than on the continent and more than travellers who fly or drive withinGreat Britain.
“These figures show that through the commitment of the thousands of people who work in the railway, many more trains than a decade ago are arriving early or within one minute of the timetable. And our goal is to get better still.”
Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, welcomed the move and said: “Passengers have always been suspicious of punctuality statistics that allow trains to be up to five or 10 minutes late and still count as on time”, but called for the commitment to go further by publishing train by train information as well.
|
Percentage of trains arriving early or up to 59 seconds of schedule
|
|
|
Londonand south east
|
Long distance
|
Regional (incScotland)
|
National
|
|
2001/02
|
44.4%
|
38.4%
|
50.8%
|
46.9%
|
|
2002/03
|
45.8%
|
40.6%
|
53.1%
|
48.7%
|
|
2003/04
|
47.8%
|
45.3%
|
55.6%
|
51.1%
|
|
2004/05
|
55.0%
|
52.3%
|
54.6%
|
54.7%
|
|
2005/06
|
61.1%
|
57.6%
|
57.4%
|
59.4%
|
|
2006/07
|
63.3%
|
62.6%
|
62.0%
|
62.7%
|
|
2007/08
|
66.8%
|
63.4%
|
66.0%
|
66.2%
|
|
2008/09
|
68.3%
|
63.5%
|
68.5%
|
68.0%
|
|
2009/10
|
69.3%
|
65.8%
|
72.3%
|
70.2%
|
|
2010/11
|
69.8%
|
61.1%
|
71.0%
|
69.6%
|
|
2011/12
|
70.3%
|
59.7%
|
71.0%
|
69.8%
|
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