Railway stations in England will be forced to prominently display figures on train cancellations and delays from Thursday.
The data will update every 28 days to show statistics for the most recent month with the aim of increasing transparency and hold operators to account.
Large digital displays will show performance information at stations, whilst smaller stations will have a QR code customers can scan to access the data, the government has said.
In the four weeks to February 1, Ince and Elton in Cheshire was the worst performing station in England for cancellations, according to date from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
The initiative means there is a very likely scenario that stations will be forced to display embarrassing data and information to millions of passengers every day.
ORR data shows that between 1 October and 31 December 2024, some 5.1% of train services were cancelled and less than two thirds (62.1 per cent) of services were on time.
The data will also show how individual train companies perform at each station.
The train operators have unsurprisingly already started to defend themselves, saying that cancellations are not always in their control, the BBC reports.
The top ten worst-performing stations by percentage of trains cancelled from January 5 to February 1 is as follows:
- Ince and Elton (Cheshire) – 22.8%
- Gathurst – 16.2%
- Earlswood (Surrey) – 11.7%
- Birchgrove – 11.7%
- Rhiwbina – 11.7%
- Whitchurch (Cardiff) – 11.7%
- Salfords (Surrey) – 11.7%
- Arram – 10.7%
- Hartlepool – 9.9%
- Ellesmere Port -9.7%
Speaking about the plans, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said they mark a “new era of rail accountability.”
She said: “These displays 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.”
Related: London has the ‘most expensive public transport in the world’