Midland operator tops rail table

Midland Mainline jumps up the rail reliability table

A rail passenger watchdog has praised Midland Mainline for a huge improvement in punctuality.

The Derby-based rail firm, which runs East Midlands-to-London services, was the least efficient long-distance operator in the UK at the end of 2003.

But reliability figures published on Thursday show it is now the best performing operator in the region.

Central Trains was the only East Midlands operator to suffer a decline in punctuality.

One in three of Central Trains' services still run late.

It remains the least-reliable operator in the region for the last three months of 2004 compared with the same period at the end of 2003.

East Midlands operators' reliability - Autumn 2004 (Autumn 2003) Midland Mainline 89.8% (68.5%) Arriva Trains Northern 79.1% (74.9%) GNER 75.8% (73.5%) Virgin Cross Country 73.1% (69.6%) Central Trains 67.2% (67.8%)

Steven Abbott, from the East Midlands Rail Passengers Committee, said Midland Mainline has extended journey times, due to works at St Pancras Station.

But he said that was "only part of the answer" for the improvements recorded for services to Derby, Chesterfield, Nottingham, Leicester, Harborough and Loughborough.

He said: "They have made a great effort to get staff on the ground to be aware of how delays multiply.

"For example if a train loses half a minute at five stations it is very soon several minutes late."