Network Rail faces punctuality challenge

For the first time NR has given details of train punctuality based on the number of trains that arrive either early or within 59 seconds of schedule.

From this perspective, the figures showed that 69.8 per cent of trains were on time during 2011/12, with only 59.7 per cent of long-distance services being on time.

This contrasts with NR’s monthly figures which define short-distance services being on time if they arrive no more than five minutes late while long-distance services are deemed on time if they are no more than 10 minutes late.

Those calculations show 91.6 per cent of trains have been on time over the last 12 months.

In contrast, yesterday’s figures, based on the no-more-than-59-seconds rule, showed that 70.3 per cent of London and south east England services were on time in 2011/12 and that 71 per cent of regional services were on time.

NR also showed tables going back to 2001/02 based on the 59-seconds rule.

The national figure of 69.8 per cent was a slight improvement on the 2010/11 figure of 69.6 per cent but not as good as 2009/10 when the figure was 70.2 per cent.

The 2011/12 long-distance figure of just 59.7 per cent was the worst since 2005/06 but a great improvement on 2001/02 when the aftermath of the 2000 Hatfield rail crash, where speed restrictions remained in place for many months, meant the long-distance figure was only 38.4 per cent.

The Hatfield effect also meant that the national figure in 2001/02 under the 59-second rule was only 46.9 per cent, while the London and south-east figure was only 44.4 per cent.

NR network operations managing director Robin Gisby said: “We are committed to improving punctuality as far as possible but as the numbers of passengers and trains continues to increase, it becomes ever more difficult to do.

“We will be open and honest with the public about our performance and the capacity constraints we’re working under.”