Britain’s Department for Transport (DfT) announced that new digital screens have been installed at 1,700 stations which highlight reliability of services, statistics show.
The data, broken down by operator, shows the percentage of trains cancelled and how punctual trains are at each station, marking the first time that station-level data has been available in the history of the railway.
It is now live at major stations through digital screens, where possible, and at most smaller stations, passengers will be able to scan a QR code to see the data online.
This fulfils a commitment made by the department to be fully transparent with passengers, demonstrating how the railways are working and allowing the public to hold train operators to account as we bring services into public ownership.
As well as delivering more reliable, better-quality services, these reforms will catalyse economic growth through improved connectivity, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change. By holding operators to account, they will be encouraged to drive up efficiency and productivity, providing better value for money for passengers and driving forward the government’s growth mission by delivering better connectivity.
The government is determined to drive up performance, and the Rail Minister is meeting with all train operators to address concerns and demand immediate action. In response, the industry has set out a framework with clear areas of focus, including timetable resilience and staffing, to recover performance to acceptable levels.
This project “marks the beginning of a new era of rail accountability. These display screens are a step towards rebuilding trust with passengers using our railways as we continue to tackle the root causes of frustrating delays and cancellations. Through fundamental rail reform, we’re sweeping away decades of dysfunctionality – putting passengers first, driving growth through connectivity as part of this government’s Plan for Change,” Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said.
Each station’s data can also be found on the ORR’s new data portal, which contains punctuality and reliability information for all stations in Great Britain. The online data is also screening reader compatible for those with accessibility needs.
The screens also display a short commentary on work underway by the operators and Network Rail to improve performance, informing and assuring passengers of the ongoing work across their area to improve the reliability and efficiency of services.
This forms part of a wider overhaul of the railways, which will establish Great British Railways (GBR) as a new body to bring track and train together, to end years of fragmentation and waste. GBR will relentlessly focus on driving up standards for passengers and proposals for how it will run, including plans for a powerful new passenger standards watchdog, are currently under consultation.
Share on:
