Rail delay compensation hits record high after train increase canceled

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Compensations paid to passengers for train delays reached record levels last month among some of the worst-performing train operators, figures show.

Between November 2022 and November 2022. months in 2023, successful late payment claims more than doubled at Avanti West Coast, from 45,900 to 104,700, according to data from watchdog the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

Three months ago, Avanti, which had been plagued by poor performance, was awarded a long-term contract renewal of up to nine years.< /p>

The company had been ordered to develop a recovery plan to address the cancellations, largely attributed to drivers refusing to work paid overtime.

The number of delay claims settled by the Great Western Railway also more than doubled during this period, from 63,400 to 141,100, while East Midlands Railway's claims increased from 23,700 to 26,300. year-on-year, an increase of 11 percent.

Train operators say most delays are not their fault but are caused by infrastructure problems on the network.

But last month, all three private operators recorded their highest number of late payment fees in November – above pre-pandemic levels.

Earlier this year, Avanti West Coast became the worst operator in terms of train punctuality in a list which also included TransPennine Express, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway and Great Western Railway.

Between April and June, only 46, 1% of Avanti trains ran on time. By September the company had improved and become only the second worst performing operator.

Avanti West Coast operates trains on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Glasgow Central, with branches in Birmingham, North Wales, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Train reliability across the UK fell to a record low last year. Cancellations of same-day services have reached their highest level since records began in 2014, it has been revealed, partly because...