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Rail firms best and worst
OXFORDSHIRE rail services are at the top and bottom of the league for punctuality, according to the latest official figures.
Chiltern Railways, which links Banbury and Bicester with London Marylebone and Birmingham, is top of the table, with 95.6 per cent of its trains on time in the last three months of 2007, said the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR).
But bringing up the rear is First Great Western (FGW), which links the county with London Paddington, the West of England and South Wales, which ran just 79.7 per cent of trains on time.
FGW's service was recently branded "unacceptable" by ministers.
The ORR is overseeing a joint performance improvement plan - developed by track and signal operator Network Rail and FGW - aimed at improving performance on the route and on Wednesday warned Network Rail that it could face severe consequences if it did not cut the amount of delays on the FGW network that it was responsible for.
A spokesman for FGW said: "FGW has accepted that it has not provided the service levels its customers deserve and we have put in place an improvement plan that has been agreed with the Department for Transport.
"We are already seeing improved performance and this includes our latest Public Performance Measure figures and cancellation rates - we need to do better to deliver consistently across the FGW Network for all our customers, but we are moving in the right direction."
CrossCountry Trains, which serves Oxford and Banbury, ran 86.9 per cent of services on time during the survey period, exactly matching the overall on time performance of the country's passenger train operators.
The franchise was taken over by Arriva from Virgin last November.
11:09am Friday 28th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Season ticket holder, Oxfordshire on 11:43am Fri 28 Mar 08
improved performance? This week, two of my trains have been cancelled,all the rest apart from one, has been late! I am still standing on 90% of journeys and that is only because I know of one train where it doesn't get that busy.
As I have said before, strip them of the franchise!!
improved performance? This week, two of my trains have been cancelled,all the rest apart from one, has been late! I am still standing on 90% of journeys and that is only because I know of one train where it doesn't get that busy.
As I have said before, strip them of the franchise!!
Posted by: julia, oxford on 1:49pm Fri 28 Mar 08
If Last Worst Western are the worst, as they have been since they started, why have they still got the franchise? Because their good friends in Government are looking forward to nice jobs with them when they retire, thats why.
If Last Worst Western are the worst, as they have been since they started, why have they still got the franchise? Because their good friends in Government are looking forward to nice jobs with them when they retire, thats why.
Posted by: Ed, Oxford on 2:21pm Fri 28 Mar 08
"...and this includes our latest Public Performance Measure figures and cancellation rates.."
Sounds like they can't sort the service out so they'll massage the figures to make it look like they're improving when we all know different...
Am I cynical?
"...and this includes our latest Public Performance Measure figures and cancellation rates.."
Sounds like they can't sort the service out so they'll massage the figures to make it look like they're improving when we all know different...
Am I cynical?
Posted by: J, oxford on 3:10pm Fri 28 Mar 08
Every year the prices go up way above inflation, with promises of great improvements, and every year it gets worse.
Strip them of their franchise immediately!
Every year the prices go up way above inflation, with promises of great improvements, and every year it gets worse.
Strip them of their franchise immediately!
Posted by: A, Didcot on 3:19pm Fri 28 Mar 08
I object! Why is it that I always catch one of the 20.3% trains that run late? Or maybe running late means something different in Worst Great Western speak!
I object! Why is it that I always catch one of the 20.3% trains that run late? Or maybe running late means something different in Worst Great Western speak!
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