Fewer trains on time in Midlands after flood disruption

London Midland, which has suffered from repeated staff shortages, only reached a 77.7 per cent trains-on-time figure for the period. And the two main London to Scotland companies – East Coast and Virgin West Coast – ran fewer than four in five trains on time in the period December 9, 2012, to January 5, 2013, Network Rail said today.

But some companies ran almost all of their services on time, with London to Tilbury and Southend company c2c achieving a 98 per cent figure.

Overall, a total of 88.2 per cent of trains ran on time in the four-week period compared with 88.8 per cent in the same period over the new year in 2011/12.

Virgin's figure was 75.8 per cent and East Coast only reached 77.2 per cent.

But nine of the 19 companies achieved at least 90 per cent, with London Overground reaching 96.9 per cent and Merseyrail recording 94.5 per cent.

Network Rail said: "Severe weather with multiple flooding, landslide and embankment slip events caused severe disruption over a number of days to many train operators and particularly impacted our long-distance customers."

Some of the worst of the flooding last month was in the West Country. Yet First Great Western still managed to run 84 per cent of trains on time – albeit down on the 89.5 per cent figure it achieved in the same period a year before.

Trains in the West Midlands were also hit by a series of signal faults and broken-down trains at peak times.

For the whole year, train firms ran 91.4 per cent of services on time.

By Adam Burling