On time train performance - some examples

[ozbob]

From East Midland Trains --> here!

More trains on time as East Midlands Trains announces record breaking punctuality figures
Article posted on 14/04/2009

East Midlands Trains has today announced its best ever punctuality figures, with latest figures showing 94%* of trains on time.

Commenting, Mark Steward, Operations Director for East Midlands Trains said:

?This is a fantastic result, and one that we are very proud of.  This is our best period of performance since the franchise start in November 2007, and demonstrates that the investments we have been making are starting to really pay off. 

?Over the last 16 months our train performance has had a steady and continual improvement, as we have invested money and additional resources into improving our performance. Significant contribution to our improved performance has been the opening of the new joint control centre with Network Rail in Derby, where our teams work hand in hand, minute by minute, getting our 462 trains a day on time. In conjunction with this, the investment in our fleet to improve reliability and the customer environment, the launch of our right time railway initiative and finally, the launch of our impressive new timetable in December 2008, have also played a crucial part in this success.?

Highlights of the period were:

- 100% of services running on time on the Liverpool-Norwich line on Monday 16 March, a first for the company.
- 92.95% of services on time on East Midlands Trains local routes ? an improvement of 5.39% year on year.
- 95.95% of services on time on East Midlands Trains London route ? an improvement of 1.41% year on year.

* Figures are taken from the latest period, which ran from 1 March to 31  March 2009.

[ozbob]

South West Trains  --> here!

Performance boards
      |
We believe in being open and honest about train performance, which is why we have developed this section of our website to give you a true and accurate account of our performance.

Some interesting figures ...

[ozbob]

London TfL --> here!

March 2009 PDF --> http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/2008-09-overground-passenger-charter-performance-period-13.pdf

[ozbob]

Melbourne - Connex  --> here!

Our performance results

April 2009

99.2 %
Services delivered

88.2 %
On-time arrivals+

Our compensation thresholds are for at least 98 per cent of Connex trains to run each month and for 92 per cent or more to arrive on-time. If we don?t meet either of these thresholds we offer a free daily Metcard*.

This month, each customer who used a monthly, six-monthly or yearly ticket on our train system in April 2009 is eligible for a free daily ticket for the equivalent zone/s as compensation.

Customers can apply for compensation by filling out a compensation form available at premium stations or by downloading the  compensation form .

Monthly ticket holders please note we will accept claims for compensation up until two months after the last day of the relevant performance month.

+          On-time refers to trains arriving within five minutes of the scheduled time
*          Terms and conditions apply       

[ozbob]

Sydney CityRail --> here!

Fascinating data ...

On-time running
CityRail has exceeded its target for peak on-time running (adjusted to exclude events beyond CityRail?s control) of trains during the second Quarter to December 2008 with 96.7% of trains running on time compared with our target of 92%. We have also exceeded our target of having less than 1% of peak services cancelled, with 99.6% of peak services reaching their destinations during the second Quarter to December 2008.

To improve our on-time running for customers, CityRail is working to reduce the time it takes to safely board passengers to trains in the peak period. This program used a number of different strategies to reduce train waiting time. The pilot involves:

    * Staff directing customers on and off trains.
    * New platform layouts to streamline the flow of customers and keep pathways clear.
    * Barricades and painted areas to direct customers and show people where not to stand.
    * Countdown clocks to ensure customers and staff know when the train will depart.
    * Clearer announcements asking customers to stand clear of doors when they are about to close.

[ozbob]

Perth - Transperth  --> here!

System reliability statistics
Updated: 1 May 2009

Transperth is committed to providing a reliable public transport system in Perth. Below are some of the system reliability statistics for our bus and train networks. Please check this page regularly for updates.

[ozbob]

Singapore MRT --> here!

Still showing 2007 figures but very impressive nonetheless ....

[ozbob]

New York  MTA  --> here!


Long Island OTP  --> http://www.mta.info/mta/ind-perform/annual/lirr-otp.htm

NYC Transit  --> http://www.mta.info/mta/ind-perform/annual/nyct-s-otp.htm

[Derwan]

I went through to check the definition of "on time" for each one:

New York MTA - "arriving at the terminal no more than 5 minutes late"
Singapore MRT - separate figures for arrive and depart "within 2 minutes of schedule"
Perth Transperth - Website does not include a definition
Sydney CityRail - "five minutes for suburban services and six minutes for intercity services"  (Doesn't say whether this is based on arrival or departure time.)
Melbourne Connex - "arriving within five minutes of the scheduled time"
London TfL = "arrive at their destination within five minutes of their scheduled arrival time"
South West Trains - "arriving at destinations within five minutes of scheduled time"
East Midland Trains - could not find their definition

From what I heard (someone here might be able to confirm this), Sydney's on time performance significantly increased after an inquiry determined the definition should be changed from "up to 2 minutes" to "up to 5 minutes" late.

Having a look at QR - I cannot see the definition.  I think someone has previously mentioned that it is 5 minutes - but it's not clear whether that's based on arrival or departure time.  I think the definition should be clear and included as a footnote on the stats webpages.

[ozbob]

Good work Derwan!   

QR definition is within 4 minutes from memory.

[stephenk]

The East Midlands Trains punctuality is interesting. The companies predecessor Midland Mainline claimed one of the best punctuality records in the UK, yet 100% of the times I have travelled with them (8 times) the train has been 10mins+ late. So from my experience I would give them a 0% punctuality rate.

New York Subway's defination of a late train by it's terminus arrival time is used by quite a few train companies. It's not much of a surprise that the NYC subway's timetables are padded out so that trains often have to wait outside of a terminus for a few minutes. A good way to make up a few minutes of late running before that lateness is measured!

Hong Kong MTR is probably the world's most reliable railway. For Q4 2008, the MTRs punctuality (for the metro lines) was:-
Train Service Delivery 99.7%
Passenger Journeys on Time 99.9%
Train Punctuality 99.6%
The figures for MTR West Rail (a suburban line) was 99.9% for all of the above!

[dwb]

It could be argued that "padding" is a bad thing, and often I feel frustrated when the train stops for so long at Roma St or Central, but I'd much much prefer to have an extra couple of minutes stopped, but know that my trains were much much more likely to arrive and depart at least half their journey closer to the time they are meant to.

I think one of the major reasons the buses are so variable is not necessarily traffic, but unrealistic timetables matched with absolutely no padding whatsoever at the end of journeys. no wonder services are so frequently late or non-existent.

[ozbob]

[Fares_Fair]

After a string of very poor punctuality some months ago (June in fact),
I wrote to the the Hon. Rachel Nolan MP, Member for Ipswich,
and the Hon. Andrew Powell MP, Member for Glass House,
to express my concerns regarding the punctuality of QR and questioned them regarding QR's
on-time performance figures compared to what I had recently experienced.

The Minister responded to the enquiries made on my behalf by the Hon. Andrew Powell MP,
and he duly passed on the Minister's response.
I thank them both here for their replies.

In the letter from the Hon. Rachel Nolan MP, it states (and I quote),

"If for instance QR Passenger fails to have at least 92.4% of its trains running
within 3 minutes and 59 seconds of the advertised timetable during the peak periods
then it suffers a financial penalty for unsatisfactory performance.
QR Passenger is similarly penalised if more than 0.5% of services are cancelled
without warning during the peak periods."

I note that the qualifications and penalties only apply to peak periods.


Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[#Metro]

Seems like a tight timeline.
Really, the designation of "on time" performance is done for purposes such as

*Defining an acceptable standard
*Monitoring performance to say something meaningful (is it increasing/getting worse?)
*Communicating that to commuters

Really QR could measure variance from timetable and use statistics, rather than resort to clunky and non-uniform definitions of "on time". If there was a lot of variance, (measured by standard deviation) then the service is unreliable.

I would like to see the Melbourne definition adopted, and also the reliability measure for the whole day for all services.

[#Metro]

Just to expand on the idea:


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Standard_deviation_diagram.svg

Sharper peaks indicate better reliability. Also if the mean shifts left or right of the timetabled time, then there is something systematically causing recurrent lateness/earlyness.

Perhaps a bit complicated, but doing this avoids having to define what "on time" means, and universally comparable.

[#Metro]

and why is it 92.4%
That 0.4% is super specific: What is the reason behind that? Very exacting- how did they work out "what is acceptable".

[ozbob]