A new study has revealed the UK’s most unreliable train route where only 14 per cent of trains are on time as well as the most unreliable and complained about stations
Poor passengers stuck using the UK’s most unreliable train route only managed to catch an on-time service 14 per cent of the time.
Results from a study conducted by travel and luggage experts at Bounce, have revealed the most problematic train routes and stations for British travellers over the festive period. For 2024, coming out on top is the 7:30am Bedford to 9:40am Three Bridges service. Only almost one in six trains arrive on time, despite running 95 per cent of scheduled trains. This route is closely followed by the 5:46pm London Euston to 7:57pm Crewe route, where only 17 per cent of trains arrive on time. However, 93 per cent of scheduled trains do run.
Another Bedford route was unveiled as the third most unreliable. The 7:33am route to Three Bridges has an on-time performance of just one in three trains, with 81 per cent of scheduled trains running. These three routes therefore present the highest likelihood for delays.
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For stations, Birmingham New Street was found to be the least reliable, with just less than four out of ten trains arriving on time and a five per cent cancellation rate. Manchester Piccadilly and York’s stations followed closely in joint second place, both with only 42 per cent of trains arriving on time and cancellation rates of eight per cent and three per cent, respectively.
Other notable stations, like Gatwick Airport and Vauxhall, also experience delays.
Bond Street was discovered as the most complained about train station, with a staggering 61,600 news articles highlighting issues with delays. Canada Water and Reading followed closely in second and third place, with 48,500 and 45,300 articles mentioning delays, respectively.
Other major UK train stations, like Birmingham New Street and London Bridge, also receive frequent complaints, with tens of thousands of news articles covering delays and disruptions. Liverpool Central and Tottenham Court Road stations also featured on this list of stations with reputations of delays.
The UK’s most unreliable train routes:
1 – 7:30am Bedford to 9:40am Three Bridges = 14 per cent of trains on time
2 – 5:46pm London Euston to 7:57pm Crewe = 17 per cent of trains on time
3 – 7:33am Bedford to 9:28am Three Bridges = 32 per cent of trains on time
4 – 7:03am Bedford to 8:59am Three Bridges = 33 per cent of trains on time
5 – 2:57pm Gloucester to 5:07pm Maesteg = 37 per cent of trains on time
6 – 7:14am Alton to 8:22am London Waterloo = 40 per cent of trains on time
7 – 6:30pm London Waterloo to 8:12pm Portsmouth Harbour = 43 per cent of trains on time
8 – 6:14am Stourbridge Junction to 8:42am London Marylebone = 45 per cent of trains on time
9 – 6:10am Portsmouth Harbour to 7:54am London Waterloo = 51 per cent of trains on time
10 – 7:46am Prince’s Risborough to 8:38am London Marylebone = 73 per cent of trains on time
