Train performance stats to be displayed at stations in new 'era of accountability'

Rail passengers in England are being shown how often trains are cancelled and delayed at each station in a new "accountability drive".

The data, broken down by operator, will go live at 1,700 stations on Thursday for the first time.

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The performance stats will show the percentage of trains cancelled and how punctual trains are.

They will be displayed at major stations through digital screens, while passengers at smaller stations will be able to scan a QR code to see the data online.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the announcement "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," she added.

The government hopes that in holding train operators to account, they will be encouraged to drive up efficiency and productivity - providing better value for money.

In February, it was reported that rail reliability across Britain was at a record low, with the equivalent of more than one in 25 services cancelled in the year to 1 February.

Analysis by the PA news agency found Ealing Broadway in west London was the major station with the worst reliability of services in the four weeks to the start of February.

That was out of 77 stations with more than 10,000 scheduled services in that period.

The equivalent of 7.9% of services at Ealing Broadway - which is used by Elizabeth Line and Great Western Railway trains - were cancelled.

Elizabeth line stations make up seven of the 10 worst for cancellations, including Bond Street (7.4%), Farringdon (6.5%) and Paddington (5.6%).

The other three stations are all on Merseyside's Merseyrail network, which has suffered problems with trains being unable to draw electricity from the third rail during wintry weather.

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Experts told Sky News that infrastructure problems are part of the reasons for delay and poor performance, as well as operational factors like driver availability and issues on trains themselves.

Independent rail consultant William Barter said it was "good" that punctuality data will now be presented with respect to individual stations, rather than arrivals at destinations, as there is "a tendency to pad timetables out with slack time immediately before the terminus".

"This tends to make performance look good even though a train may have been late at every station until then," he said.

Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, said the transparency drive sends "a clear message to customers the rail sector is committed to improving punctuality and to find solutions to make train services more reliable".

The decline in train reliability comes at a time of rising rail fares, which will go up again by 4.6% next week, while rail cards will also become more expensive.

Labour pledged in its manifesto to nationalise passenger rail services, with the first coming into public ownership in May 2025.

However, experts have previously told Sky News that the plan is unlikely to reduce fares, while ministers have admitted that the aim of nationalisation is to improve reliability rather than to reduce ticket costs.

(c) Sky News 2025: Train performance stats to be displayed at stations in new 'era of accountability'