Most cancelled and delayed train operators in UK revealed - as Avanti tops unwanted chart

Avanti West Coast, which operates from London to Glasgow and Edinburgh with routes via Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, has been named as the train provider with the most delayed trains - with just 41 per cent on time, according to analysis of Government data, with CrossCountry trains named third worst - with 46.4 per cent of trains running to time.

CrossCountry, which has its central hub at Birmingham New Street, was also the second worst offender for cancellations, with 5.8 per cent of train services cancelled, while West Midlands Trains came in at number five on the list of most delayed train services, with 5.6 per cent of trains delayed.

Car leasing experts at Nationwide Vehicle Contracts said many commuters have been left questioning what they are paying for, due to frequent delays and cancellations, and there were more than 348,000 complaints made over the UK’s railway services in the 2024 financial year.

These complaints, plus concern about rising train fares, prompted their study of Government data to find the most commonly cancelled and delayed train providers across the UK.

Keith Hawes, director at Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, said: “There may be an influx of commuters opting for cars as their mode of transport, rather than trains, due to delays and disruptions. Lift sharing reduces petrol costs, and car park costs may be cheaper than purchasing a train ticket.”

Analysis of figures from July 1 to September 30 2024 showed there were 56,900 full cancellations and 43,400 part cancellations out of 1.9 million train services planned.

While data for the financial year ending March 2024 showed that 67.6 per cent of trains arrived within 59 seconds of their scheduled arrival time.

Meanwhile, train fares have increased by 4.6 per cent across the UK this year, with rail cards rising by £5.

Operators with the most cancelled trains in the UK (% cancelled)

Northern Trains (6.5%)

CrossCountry (5.8%)

Govia Thameslink Railway (5.8%)

Avanti West Coast (5.7%)

West Midlands Trains (5.6%)

London North Eastern Railway (5.4%)

TfW Rail (5.3%)

Heathrow Express (4.9%)

Great Western Railway (4.8%)

Elizabeth Line (4.2%)

Operators with the most delayed trains in the UK (% delayed)

Avanti West Coast (41.1%)

Grand Central (44.5%)

CrossCountry (46.4%)

TransPennine Express (49.6%)

Hull Trains (52.7%)

East Midlands Railway (53%)

London north eastern Railway (56.7%)

Northern Trains 58.7%

Lumo (60%)

Great Western Railway (60.2%)

CrossCountry said work has been done to improve its services in recent months but there is more to do.

A spokesperson for the rail operator said: “Over the last six months, we have implemented a number of changes across the service that have reduced cancellations and improved punctuality. However, we recognise that there is more work to be done to ensure we consistently meet high service standards, improve performance, and provide a more resilient service. We continue to work with the Department for Transport and Network Rail to deliver further improvements for our customers and the communities we serve.”

West Midlands Railway said there can be many reasons for delays and a spokesperson added: “Running a reliable service is our priority. We run over 1,200 services each day and work closely with industry partners to continuously improve performance. There are many reasons why an individual service may be cancelled, including adverse weather such as flooding or police incidents on the railway.

“Any passenger whose journey is delayed by 15 minutes or more for any reason can claim compensation via the Delay Repay scheme.”

Avanti West Coast told the Express & Star that more recent data has shown a marked improvement in performance.

A spokesperson said: “Latest performance figures show between March 2 and 31 2025, we were responsible for 21 per cent of our trains not arriving within one minute at stations – also known as the 'On Time' punctuality measure in the rail industry.  

“The remaining 79 per cent of trains that did not arrive 'On Time' were due to third party and external causes, such as infrastructure failures and trespass incidents. We’re continuing to work with Network Rail and our industry partners to improve punctuality and reliability across all our routes to make sure our customers get the service they deserve.”