Mixed views from passenger as Wolverhampton Railway Station 'among the worst for cancellations'

While, most of the time, trains arrive and leave on time, there are plenty of occasions when trains have been delayed or cancelled, with reasons for this including leaves on the line, no train crew, broken down trains and trespassers on the line.

In a recent survey by toner cartridge supplier Toner Giant of 1,000 UK office workers, 57 per cent of those surveyed said that the cost of commuting was affecting whether they wanted to travel to work or not, with many talking about the issues with cancellations and delays.

After analysing the 100 busiest stations in the country, Toner Giant published a top 10 list of the worst stations for delays and cancellations, with Birmingham New Street in joint sixth with Milton Keynes Central and Wolverhampton sitting joint second with Leicester, only behind Manchester Oxford Road.

The news of Wolverhampton being ranked on the list as one of the worst for delayed or cancelled trains with 62 per cent was met with a mixture of surprise, but also agreement, by people heading to or from the station on a damp Monday morning.

The station has undergone a lengthy refurbishment and, combined with the new Midlands Metro stop and access over a footbridge to the bus station, is seen as a major transport hub for Wolverhampton, sitting on the busy West Coast Mainline.

For 47-year-old Carl Bate from Dudley, the station was fine for him as he said he didn't encounter much in the way of issues when travelling from there.

He said: "I've never had a problem with travelling at all and I think Wolverhampton station is good and I like it as everything is working, toilet facilities are OK and staff are friendly.

"I don't think I've ever had a cancellation on any train I've been on but, obviously, in cases where there's snow and ice and bad weather, there will be problems, but trains can't always run on time, it's just a matter of life."

Former Mayor of Dudley and current councillor David Stanley also said he felt the station was fine and said he didn't have any issues with services.

He said: "I wouldn't say that was absolutely true as, sometimes, you get the local train a little bit late, but that's usually because of a delay on one of CrossCountry or Avanti or one of the major operators on long distance trains, but, as a rule, I find the service here very good indeed.

"I think it's sometimes down to the drivers as they haven't always got the ability to do exactly as they would like and if there's a delay with the signals, they've just go to wait for them to change."

Other commuters had different feelings about the trains, with 72-year-old Jim Collins from Wednesfield saying he felt the infrastructure was more of a problem than the station.

He said: "I got done a couple of weeks ago and it's a rubbish line. I fully appreciate that there is a problem with the lines and there has been for years and they've not done anything about it.

"It's a lovely new station, but the lines aren't great and what I think we're in need of an upgrade with the lines as it looks great, but it's not functioning as well as it should and they should try to improve communication around it."

Laura Grant from Willenhall said she felt there was an issues with cancellations at times and asked for more notice to be given around cancellations on the network.

The 19-year-old said: "Some of the services are OK, but I do feel like they not always the best and do cancel quite a lot and I usually find out when I'm there to be honest.

"They need to give us more notice and tell us more about the services and while the station is great, I think the staff need to do more to help and tell people where things are."