Fares have gone up again, but the latest punctuality figures expose serious flaws in our rail network

Only four out of 10 trains are running on time on many of Britain’s busiest routes, with CrossCountry and TransPennine trains the least likely to arrive on schedule, according to punctuality figures from Network Rail.

The data, which covers mid-November to mid-December 2015, shows that punctuality has fallen significantly since the same period in 2014. On the toughest definition of timeliness – arriving within one minute of the schedule – almost half of all trains were late. Even using the industry’s preferred measure, where “on time” is within five minutes of the schedule for commuter trains and 10 minutes on long-distance routes, nearly a fifth of trains were late. At the worst operator, Virgin Trains West Coast, this figure was 29%.

Overall, 83% of trains in Britain ran within five minutes of their schedule during the period. By comparison, in Germany 92% of trains were on time during November. The data on punctuality, for a period before flooding hit parts of the UK, comes amid anger at the latest fare rises – it has emerged that British commuters spend as much as six times more of their salaries on rail fares than their European counterparts.

The Network Rail data shows that the “right time” performance (within one minute of the schedule) of CrossCountry trains, which operates routes from Penzance to Aberdeen, was just 29.8% in November/December, rising to 82% for trains arriving within 10 minutes of their schedule. First TransPennine Express, meanwhile, saw 68% of its trains turn up at the “right time”, while the “on time” measure was 72.5%, down from 85.4% in the same period in 2014.

On Virgin West Coast just 35% of trains hit the “right time” and 71.1% “on time”. Rival long-distance provider Great Western proved more reliable, with a 60% “right time” arrival figure.

The best operators for timeliness were Chiltern Railways, London Overground, Arriva Trains Wales and c2c. The latter, which operates between Fenchurch Street and Southend, ran 78.3% of trains within one minute of the schedule and 95.9% within five minutes.

But the bigger picture shows reliability generally falling since the same time last year, adding fuel to calls this week for the network to be taken back into public ownership. The number of trains running at the “right time” fell from 57.2% to 54.2% nationally, while the numbers “on time” fell from 85.8% to 82.6%.

Train operating companies in the past said delays were the result of circumstances beyond their control. But the data shows that for Govia Thameslink, Southeastern and ScotRail more than 30% of delays were caused by the train operators’ own failures – in most cases a failure to employ enough drivers.

Govia’s Great Northern route, which has suffered numerous delays since it took over the franchise from First Capital Connect, ran nearly a quarter of all trains more than five minutes late in the run up to Christmas.

Passenger group Transport Focus says train performance “remains poor and in some cases downright terrible”. A spokeswoman says: “Passengers must send a clear message to the train companies and Network Rail that they have not got what they paid for, and claim compensation.”

The timetable is our promise to passengers, and we never want people to suffer delays or disruption Rail Delivery Group

A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, says: “The timetable is our promise to passengers, and we never want people to suffer delays or disruption. Train operators and Network Rail are working hard together every day to deliver a better, more punctual railway and to give people better information when things do go wrong. The rail industry has cut the number of incidents causing delays every year, but a busier network means incidents can have a greater knock-on effect.”

Network Rail adds that the “right time” data is not entirely reliable, but it is working to improve the quality of the figures.

How to claim compensation

Finding out exactly what you are entitled to is difficult, as the train operating companies all have different compensation terms – often above the statutory minimum.

As a general rule, most train firms pay at least 50% of the single fare for delays of 30-59 minutes. For a return ticket you will get back at least 50% of the fare paid for the affected part of the journey. Following delays of 60 minutes or more you are entitled to 100% of the single fare, or for return tickets 100% of the fare paid for the affected leg. The whole amount is paid if both legs are delayed by an hour.

Each train company website lists its own process and entitlement. Many will now let you claim electronically, and you should be paid within 28 days. Just search “delay repay” on Google plus the name of your train company. You have to claim within a month of the delay.

Until last summer you were only entitled to National Rail vouchers as compensation, to be spent on further tickets. But in July the rules changed and you can now request money. Transport Focus says fewer than 15% of passengers claim the compensation they are owed – mostly because they are unaware that the process exists.

If you a season ticket holder the train operators assume you travel 22 days a month, and divide the cost of the monthly ticket accordingly, then pay the 50% or 100% compensation depending on the length of the delay.

One of the problems commuters face on short journeys is that delays often run to 20-25 minutes, which does not qualify for compensation. In November’s autumn statement George Osborne proposed compensation should be paid after a delay of 15 minutes, but this isn’t expected to come into force anytime soon.

Just before Christmas Which? lodged a super complaint with the railway regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, claiming the system isn’t working. The consumer group said as many as 47m journeys a year end in cancellation or delay, and it should be easier for passengers to get their money back. There are websites which will make the claims on your behalf, for a fee. DelayRepaySniper.com charges from £3.75 a month and claims to have recovered £289,000 for commuters in the past month alone.