19.09.19
New ‘On-Time’ train statistics welcomed by Transport Secretary
Good news for rail users today as a new way to measure train performance has been published (Thursday 19) by The Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
New ‘On-Time’ statistics have been welcomed by the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, who has dubbed it “a step in the right direction.”
The new technology has been put in place in a bid to increase accountability of the railway and ensure that passengers are no longer in the dark when it comes to their train network.
The statistics will clearly show trains punctuality down to the minute, instead of the current timetable of within or five or 10 minutes of expected arrival. The new system will measure if a train is ‘On time’ to within 60 seconds.
Data of operator’s performance has been collected over the past three months, providing the public with the most accurate picture to date of the rail services they depend on.
Shapps has made it clear that the punctuality of services is of the utmost importance, and is his current priority.
Last week the minister met with train bosses, a number of train operating companies and rail industry leaders to reinforce the severity of improving punctuality and reliability.
Shapps commented: “Commuters just want their trains to run on time and that’s my first priority. New statistics published today will stop masking whether trains are really on time.
“I believe this is a step in the right direction, providing more accountability and transparency to help hold operators to account, but much more needs to be done to get performance to where it should be.
“This won’t be instant but the Williams Review, published this Autumn, has the right ideas: clearer accountability, greater local control focused on passengers and performance.”