We knew that British trains had a bad reputation because of their poor performance in terms of punctuality and regularity. This negative image has just been confirmed by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
On the rail lines managed by Network Rail, 67.8% of trains arrived on time. between April 2022 and March 2023. Over the previous period from April 2021 to the end of March 2022, punctuality was still 73.1%. This represents a year-on-year drop of 5.4%. And by 12% compared with the period 2020-2021. The recurring strikes in 2022 and early 2023 have, in fact, taken their toll on train regularity...
Freight's performance stood at 86% of punctual trains. Although rail freight performed better than passenger rail traffic, this was still the lowest level of punctuality since this annual assessment began in 2014. Passenger train cancellations rose from 3.3% to 3.8%..
Train reliability and punctuality have continued to decline and delays attributed to Network Rail have worsened in all five UK regions. The ORR is now calling for Network Rail implements the improvement plans to which the agency is committed. ORR urges Network Rail to work with train operating companies to improve train performance for passengers and freight users.
All regions affected by the deterioration in punctuality
Delays caused by Network Rail affect all 5 of the UK's rail regions. No region reached the target of 72% trains on time. The worst performers were the North West/Central region at 43.7%.. The Wales/West of England region recorded the second worst performance, at 47.4% of the initial target. As for the Southern region (where London is located), the average performance is just over 50%..
In particular, ORR blames the slowness with which Network Rail undertakes renovation or expansion work. The agency delivered 91.3 % of the actual renewal volumes planned for 2022/2023.. Three of the five regions did not meet their targets. These include North West and Central England (89.3 %), Wales and the West (81.2 %) and Scotland (69.0 %). By contrast, the East of England (112.6 %) and South of England (104.0 %) regions exceeded their upgrade and renewal targets.
