Train punctuality figures, from Network Rail

[whole diary]

[vacman]

But 99% of passengers would rather their train was realisticly timed so it gets to where its supposed to get on time.

[Shazz]

And that way we dont have to listen to you complaining they're late every day 

[r james]

With respet to the 2004 timings, how many actually arrived on time, a a percentage?  Surely if not many ever arrived on time, it proves that it just inst a realisticly viable time?

[Mookiemoo]

And that way we dont have to listen to you complaining they're late every day 

I only ever complained about VERY late trains - I always said anything up to 15-20 minutes was on time.

[Mookiemoo]

With respet to the 2004 timings, how many actually arrived on time, a a percentage?  Surely if not many ever arrived on time, it proves that it just inst a realisticly viable time?

Morning 0630ish train - on time within 5 minutes most mornings

Evening train - 3/5

The fact they could hit it 60% of the time meant it was realistic - they just could not handle the unexpected.

It is not a good thing to spend 10-15 minutes on 4/5 journeys waiting for departure time (with the opposite direction train also waiting for its departure time) when you suddenly have to pay 10% more each month and you KNOW the reason for no discount is that the trains leave and arrive at the same time they always did

[Andy W]

But 99% of passengers would rather their train was realisticly timed so it gets to where its supposed to get on time.

I'm also sure 99% of people don't want to spend 10 mins waiting at various stations because FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are out of their depth running an efficient timetable. It may be different on other parts of the network but the Cotswold line is a joke.

The padding is nothing to do with accurate arrival times and everything to do with dodging fines for lack for punctuality because they can't hack it when it comes to being efficient. Yes you know when you will arrive now, but that was always the case -- LATE

With respet to the 2004 timings, how many actually arrived on time, a a percentage?  Surely if not many ever arrived on time, it proves that it just inst a realisticly viable time?

FGW published the timetable, it is deliverable, unfortunately they don't have the procedures or the discipline to do it.

[dog box]

Andy you know as well as i do the problems on the Cotswold line are mainly down to trying to run a decent service over what is essentially a single track railway....sorry but remarks about dodging fines etc is utter rubbish

[Mookiemoo]

Andy you know as well as i do the problems on the Cotswold line are mainly down to trying to run a decent service over what is essentially a single track railway....sorry but remarks about dodging fines etc is utter rubbish

Well to the uneducated it seems that is what it is about

Prior to 2006, the service ran usually late but not so late it was an issue.  60% of the time you got there on time which proived it was realistic - but they had to give discounts and pay fines for not being punctual enough

Suddenly - more padding than you would see in a teenage girls wonder bra and hey presto - no discounts and no fines.  For the same appalling service.

[Andy W]

Andy you know as well as i do the problems on the Cotswold line are mainly down to trying to run a decent service over what is essentially a single track railway....sorry but remarks about dodging fines etc is utter rubbish

Hi Dog Box (how do you get that name?) FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are a commercial operation - profit is their objective. The easiest way to reduce expenditure on fines etc. is to introduce so much slack that they comply with the timetable. It's a commercial decision pure and simple.

Yes the single line is clearly unhelpful but is also an easy excuse to use. Obviously doubling the track is the best fix but please notice the response BTlines got from the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) 'Much of the business case would be based on the amount of delay (and payments made by Network Rail to train operating companies (TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company)) as a result of it) that would be saved. '

As soon as some bright spark realises that a rescheduled timetable both reduces delays and the subsequent penalty payments the main thrust of the re-doubling business case goes down the toilet. If you don't believe me watch Yes Minister to see the games they play.

Unintended consequences can be very dangerous.
 

[Btline]

Of course it is possible for a decent unslacked service to be run on the Cotsowld line.

It is just that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are not up to it.

Yes, due to the singe track, if there is a problem is will build up.

But the fact of the matter is, these delays occur too often - I wonder how they start? With my experience of regular travel on double lines, I seem to pass a train in the same place each day - with only a few exceptions, meaning that if single track existed except a loop at that point, I would be delayed rarely, nor would my train delay much!

The point that I am making is that these delays should not get started as often, thus preventing knock on effects...

Obviously, I acknowledge that double the trains are now running on the downgraded infrastructure than originally intended.

In order to decrease their output spending, they add slack / make the final arrival time (at Hereford or Padd etc.) rather generous.

The answer is generous turnaround time, which I suppose exists as much as possible (but NB the Cambrian Line - another single track line which is the bane of ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)))'s life-  trains are given only 5 mins at Aber to turn around (mad), 15 at New Street (perhaps- BNS^▸ (Barnes (not Birmingham New Street)) is congested)).

But it is fine for m to be saying this Let's hope that double track is laid soon on the CL, and we shall see the results.....

[stebbo]

As I've just said on another topic, the Cotswold Line has just got worse and worse especially if you travel from Hereford/Worcester and just want a reasonably fast, on time service - OK, I agree that a 5 or 10 minute delay is OK, but now it's regularly 20 mins or more.

Padding is just so obvious and I get more and more turned off each year as the timings get slower and slower.

Mind you, FGW^▸ (First Great Western) aren't the only ones - British Airways learnt that trick years ago. I recall back in the late 1990s spending as much time fiddling around on the ground at Heathrow as it took to actually fly to Brussels.

[John R]

Just as well you can take the train now in under 2 hrs.

[Mookiemoo]

Just as well you can take the train now in under 2 hrs.

Not from Hereford OR heathrow!

[miniman]

Sorry - as a passenger I'd rather the hope of getting home in less than two hours and 1/2 a week being wrong than guaranteed up to half an hour sitting at stations waiting for departure time (and paying more for the privilege).

Of course, if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) could sort out their operational issues then there would be no need to compromise.

Good grief :feints: I think we agree on something! 

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Press Association:

Annual train punctuality has reached the 90% mark for the first time since records began in 1992, Network Rail (NR^» (Network Rail - home page)) has announced.

A total of 90.6% of trains ran on time in the 12 months ending in March, while the figure for April was a monthly record of 93.5%.

When NR took over responsibility for rail infrastructure from Railtrack in 2002, punctuality was less than 79%.

Best-performing company in 2008/09 was the London to Tilbury and Southend operator c2c, which achieved a trains-on-time figure of 95.3%. Chiltern and Merseyrail also reached the 95% mark.

Two companies - Virgin Trains and London Midland - did significantly worse in 2008/09 than in 2007/08 due to the disruption caused by the ^9 billion upgrade of the West Coast Main Line, which was completed last December.

Virgin's punctuality figure slipped from 86.2% in 2007/08 to 80.0% in 2008/09, while London Midland declined from 88.9% to 86.5%. The biggest year-on-year improvement was made by First Great Western, whose punctuality rose from 83.1% in 2007/08 to 90.5% in 2008/09.

Please note that, in the context of some recent posts on this forum, I have taken the unusual step of adding my own emphasis, in bold, to certain parts of this article. Chris.