Frustrated passenger 'crunches the numbers' to highlight levels of disruption
Figures show 363 of 365 days last year had some form of delay - although don't reveal the length of that delay
A frustrated passenger's calling for improvements on the GWR rail line, after recording how much disruption being endured each year.
Matt Strachan, a former student at Bath Uni, submitted a freedom of information request looking at the number of days affected by delays between Reading and London Paddington over a 12 month period to November.
The figures which can be seen here suggest 200 out of 365 days with points failures, 175 with 'broken or damaged rail' and 97 with signal failures.
In response, Network Rail tell us the current performance is 'not good enough' and they've brought in experts to help 'get to the bottom of the issues delaying trains'.
A spokesperson for the rail industry point out they use 'delay minutes', which are publicly available on a monthly basis, to give a much clearer idea of disruption rather than 'delay days' - adding that 'delay minutes' show a reduction in overall delays between 2019 and 2023.
Bruce Williamson, from campaign group Rail Future, says the figures need to be seen in context, adding: "If a delay is recorded that might be just two or three minutes on one train - out of a whole day's worth of trains on a massive network."
But he adds: "We know the industry is not doing it deliberately, they want to run a reliable railway as well, but in the real world things do go wrong, break down, people get sick, infrastructure crumbles there's weather-related incidents, there's all sorts of causes.
"I think any rail passenger who experiences delays or cancellations has a right to feel frustrated. We all want a railway that is reliable, that is affordable that works for passengers. When it doesn't work out it is frustrating and annoying.
"We're still playing catch up really from decades of under-investment in the railways and it's like turning around a super tanker - the railway that we all want is going to take a long time to deliver."
What does Network Rail say?
Rob Cairns, interim Managing Director, Wales & Western, Network Rail, said: “Our teams work tirelessly around the clock and in all weathers to maintain the railway and ensure trains can run safely and efficiently every day. But train performance for our passengers and customers has not been good enough recently.
“We’ve already brought in external experts to help us get to the bottom of the issues delaying trains, and we have plans in place to improve the service for passengers. We also welcome the cross-industry review currently being conducted by the Office of Rail and Road and look forward to receiving its recommendations.Â
“Our biggest challenge is within the critical Thames Valley, which is one of the busiest railway corridors in the country. We will be targeting this area, working closely with the train companies, so that we can deliver a safe and reliable railway for thousands of passengers and freight customers who depend on it every day.”
The spokesperson also stressed that 'not all faults delay trains and many have very short durations and limited impacts. Regardless of the fault, our operations teams look for ways to keep people moving safely either by slowing trains down so they can still pass through the affected area or routing trains via alternative routes until the fault is fixed'
Is the performance being looked at?
In November the Office of Rail and Road launched a probe into the Network Rail Wales & Western region, saying 'train performance has continued to deteriorate while the wider network across Great Britain has seen performance stabilising.
The regulator said it will 'review the effectiveness of the region’s performance improvement plan, whether assets are being managed appropriately and the impact of changes to the rail network on train performance' and 'may decide on appropriate measures, which could include enforcement action'.