The train companies with the most delays and cancellations will now be named and shamed on boards at stations, in what Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is calling “a new era of rail accountability”.
Performance statistics compiled by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) are now publicly available for over 1,700 stations.
Major stations will display the data on digital screens, while passengers at smaller stations can access the information online by scanning QR codes.
The displayed information also includes details of improvement works being carried out by operators and Network Rail.
The initiative comes at a time when train reliability across Britain has plummeted to a record low, with cancellations equivalent to more than one in 25 services in the year leading up to February 1.
The station board move aims to hold the rail industry accountable and provide passengers with a clearer picture of service performance.
Ms Alexander said: “Today marks the beginning of a new era of rail accountability.
“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.”
Data is available for the 14 operators funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), as well as for other train companies who have agreed it can be displayed.
Analysis found Ealing Broadway in west London was the major station with the worst reliability of services in the four weeks to February 1.
That was out of the 77 stations with more than 10,000 scheduled services in that period.
The equivalent of 7.9 per cent of services at Ealing Broadway – which is used by Elizabeth line and Great Western Railway trains – were cancelled.
Elizabeth line stations made up seven of the 10 worst for cancellations, including Bond Street (7.4 per cent), Farringdon (6.5 per cent) and Paddington (5.6 per cent).
The other three stations were all on Merseyside’s Merseyrail network, which has suffered problems with trains being unable to draw electricity from the third rail during wintry weather.
The highest cancellation score of any station in England was 22.8 per cent at Ince & Elton in Cheshire, which is one of the least used in the country. It was scheduled to have just 92 services during the period surveyed.
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, said: “We know how frustrating it is for customers when their train is cancelled or delayed.
“By being transparent with this data and the positive actions we’re taking, it shows how serious the industry is in putting this right by continuing to strive for improvements.
“This send a clear message to customers the rail sector is committed to improving punctuality and to find solutions to make train services more reliable.”
Natasha Grice, the director at watchdog Transport Focus, said: “Passengers tell us they want a reliable, on-time train service and will welcome improvements to information about the punctuality of their service and cancellations being shared more transparently.
“It’s important that the industry uses this information to drive up performance.”
The DfT is consulting on proposals for how Great British Railways will run.
The new public sector body will be responsible for overseeing train operations and railway infrastructure.
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