Reducing Delays
Since October 2002, when we took over responsibility for the rail infrastructure, we have reduced delay minutes from 14.72 million minutes per year to 9.5 million minutes per year – a 35% reduction. And we will be reducing delays even further in the coming days.
Year-on-year improvements
2002/03
14.72 million minutes
2003/04
13.72 million minutes
2004/05
11.43 million minutes
2005/06
10.05 million minutes
2006/07
10.05 million minutes
2007/08
09.5 million minutes
Reliability
Punctuality on the railway is at the highest in recorded history because of the changes that we have made.
Delayed trains can be caused by problems with the railway infrastructure or the trains or third-party events (e.g. a vehicle on the tracks). Network Rail is responsible for keeping the tracks, signals, bridges, tunnels and level crossings working properly so that the trains can use them safely.
Reducing delays
In 2003, the Office of Rail Regulation set us a target of a 30% improvement in the reliability of the network by 2008/09.
We have met the target, and more, a year early - reliability of the network has improved 35%.
Looking after the infrastructure
The assets on the railway are performing at around the best level for a decade and despite the age of many of them, we run a rail network that delivers over 1.2 billion passenger journeys every year.
Reducing delays
Since October 2002, when we took responsibility for the rail infrastructure, we have reduced delay minutes from 14.72 million minutes per year to 9.5 million minutes per year - a 35% reduction. And we will be reducing delays even further in the coming years.