Worst train companies to be named and shamed

Millions of passengers will see train cancellation and delay data published prominently at over 1,700 railway stations in England from Thursday.

The data will update every 28 days showing statistics for the most recent month in a bid to increase transparency and to hold operators to account.

Between 1 July and 30 September 2024, 4.2% of train services were cancelled and only 67.7% of services were on time, according to the latest data from the rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

The government says performance information will appear on large digital display boards, with smaller stations displaying QR codes for passengers to scan on smartphones.

The BBC understands that the data will not be announced audibly for people with print disabilities but the government says online data will be posted on a new portal which has been made accessible to screen reader users such as those who are blind and visually-impaired.

The concept of publishing train reliability data is not new. The ORR publishes performance statistics which detail the percentage of services that are delayed or cancelled.

However this is the first time that potentially embarrassing information will be proactively presented to millions of English train passengers each day.

It’s a move welcomed by the independent passenger watchdog, Transport Focus.

The group’s director, Natasha Grice, told the BBC the railway needs to rebuild trust, and transparency around cancellations was part of that.

“Previously, performance information has tended to be available by route or a group of routes. This initiative makes the data more relevant to an individual passenger by showing the numbers for their station,” she said.

Jacqueline Starr, chair and chief executive of Rail Delivery Group said the move shows how serious the industry is about putting things right for customers frustrated by cancellations and delays.

The Department for Transport is hailing this as a new era for accountability.

The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander said: “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.”

This also forms part of a wider overhaul of the country’s railways under the government’s planned return to nationalisation under Great British Railways.

“Through fundamental rail reform, we’re sweeping away decades of dysfunctionality,” Ms Alexander said.

The government says the industry has set out a framework with “clear areas of focus”, “timetable resilience”, and staffing to “recover performance to acceptable levels”.

The rail minister will be meeting with all train operators to “address concerns and demand immediate action”.