Which? responds to latest ORR punctuality statistics

Neena Bhati, Which? Head of Campaigns, said:

“These figures show major delays and cancellations have hit an 18-year high, causing huge suffering for passengers in their family and work lives and leaving trust in the industry at appallingly low levels.

“The rail review has some big questions to answer and it’s vital that passengers benefit from these reforms as quickly as possible. The review must introduce universal automatic compensation so passengers don’t have to fight to get the money they are owed for delays and cancellations.”

Notes to editors

• Latest ORR statistics: New Passenger Rail Performance Measures 2018-19 and Passenger and Freight Rail Performance 2018-19 Q4

• Based on the cancellations or significantly late rates (and all TOCs) it’s the worst financial year since 2000-1.

• Topline statistics:
  – 4.3% of services nationally were reported as cancelled or significantly late in 2018-19. This is 0.5pp higher than 2017-18. This includes all TOCs.
  – Punctuality: 63.40% of trains arrived at station stop within a minute of scheduled time (Period 13 2018-19 MAA). That is an increase from the prior year over the same period (62.67%)
  – Cancellations: 2.9% of services were cancelled (Period 13 2018-19 MAA). This is an increase from 2.6% over the same period last year.

• Earlier this week Which? revealed that last year passengers endured the worst train delays and cancellations since records began. 

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