FGW Now Britain's Worst Performing Operator

[whole diary]

[Lee]

First Great Western is now Britain's worst performing operator after slipping to the bottom of industry punctuality league tables (link below.)
http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=243687&home=yes&more_nodeId1=242222&contentPK=20259208

The statistics came on the day that FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s parent company FirstGroup announced strong trading results, while city analysts predicted shareholders could expect an annual dividend of 10 per cent for "at least the next three years".

The league table figures released yesterday by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road, formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)) show FGW had just 79.7 per cent of trains turning up on time during the last three months of 2007.

The ORR's previous batch of figures, released in December 2007, placed FGW second-bottom of the punctuality tables with 83 per cent of trains on time during the summer of 2007, compared with a national average of 90.8 per cent.

Only East Coast Main Line operator GNER^▸ (Great North Eastern Railways) had a worse punctuality record than FGW over that period.

Now, FGW has slumped to the bottom of the table, lagging more than 15 per cent behind Chiltern Railways, the top rated operator for punctuality with 95.6 per cent of its trains arriving on time.

A spokesman for FGW said:

"FGW has accepted that it has not provided the service levels its customers deserve and we have put in place an improvement plan that has been agreed with the Department for Transport.

"We are already seeing improved performance. We need to do better to deliver consistently but we are moving in the right direction."

FirstGroup said it was "on course" to achieve improvements agreed with the Department for Transport but added that its rail revenue growth had increased by more than 10 per cent in the 12 months to March.

First reported strong trading in the second half of the year and expects full-year results in line with management hopes.

The article also mentions the ORR's recent warning to Network Rail (link below.)
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2210.msg16711#msg16711

Further related links.
http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=20261248

http://www.oxfordmail.net/display.var.2154089.0.topsy_turvey_rail_report.php (willc)

[Lee]

More articles (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/03/fgw_is_uks_least_punctual_rail.html#more

[Btline]

No surprise that Chiltern are top.

They really know how to run a railway!

[devon_metro]

Problem with this - the end of last year was abysmal, things are really looking up.

[vacman]

No surprise that Chiltern are top.

They really know how to run a railway!

It's difficult not to on Chiltern though! they basicly got their own main line!

[Btline]

Chiltern have to share with LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise), Cross Country and LU on their mainline. Bear in mind that it was Central Trains before November!

They also achieved success by redoubling their mainline and doubling their stock.