Worst train companies to be named and shamed

Starting this Thursday, over 1,700 train stations in the UK will prominently display train cancellation and delay data, a move expected to affect millions of passengers. This initiative aims to increase transparency and hold railway operators accountable for their performance.

The data will be updated monthly, showcasing statistics from the most recent month. According to the latest figures from the rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), 4.2% of train services were cancelled between July 1 and September 30, 2024, and only 67.7% of services ran on time.

The government stated that performance information will be displayed on large digital screens, while smaller stations will display QR codes for passengers to scan with their smartphones. The BBC understands that the data will not be made available in audio format for people with dyslexia, but the government says online data will be published on a new portal that has been made accessible to screen reader users, such as blind and visually impaired individuals.

Independent passenger watchdog Transport Focus has welcomed the initiative. The organization's head, Natasha Grice, stated that the railway needs to rebuild trust, and transparency about train cancellations is part of that process. "Previously, performance information was often provided by route or group of routes. This initiative makes the data more relevant to individual passengers by showing data at the station level," she said.

Rail Delivery Group Chair and Chief Executive Jacqueline Starr said the move demonstrates how seriously the rail industry is taking rectifying the wrongs for customers frustrated by train cancellations and delays. The Department for Transport calls this move a landmark moment, marking a new era of accountability. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "These displays are a step towards rebuilding trust in our railways, and we will continue to tackle the root causes of frustrating delays and cancellations."

This also forms part of the government's wider rail reforms to restore nationalisation through Great British Railways. "Through fundamental rail reform, we are sweeping away decades of dysfunction," Ms. Alexander said. The government stated that the industry has developed a framework with "clear areas of focus," "timetable resilience," and staffing to "restore performance to acceptable levels." The Rail Minister will meet with all train operators to "address concerns and demand immediate action."