Public performance measure

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The public performance measure (PPM) is a measure of the punctuality and reliability of passenger trains in Britain. It is the percentage of scheduled trains which successfully run their entire planned route, calling at all timetabled stations, and arrive at their terminating station 'on time', [1] where 'on time' means within five minutes of the scheduled destination arrival time for London and South East and regional operators (i.e. commuter services), or within ten minutes for long-distance operators. [2]

Contents

It is the industry standard measurement of performance, [1] and has been used since 6 June 2000. [3]

The target for PPM varies each year and for each train operator, and is agreed with the Office of Rail Regulation. In October 2013 ORR said that, "Network Rail should... ensure that 92.5% of trains arrive on time nationally by 2019 (as measured using PPM), compared to 90.7% today." [4]

Causes

Network Rail delays due to infrastructure faults cause about 39% of delays, train operating companies 28%, weather, trespass, vandalism, cable theft and fatalities 20%, other train operating companies (mostly other passenger trains) 13%. [5]

History

Prior to PPM's introduction in 2000, there were a variety of punctuality measures. For example, in 1957 Gerry Fiennes published an analysis showing that permanent way restrictions accounted for 25% of delays, locomotives (eg poor steaming due to wrong type of coal for the engine) 25%, signals (mostly due to other delays) 15%, signal failures 10%, coach defects 8%, station duties 4% and miscellaneous (eg. open doors, lamps out, special stops) 13%. [6]

From 1 April 2019, Network Rail introduced a new 'more detailed and precise set of measures...The official measure of punctuality used up till now, known as the public performance measure (PPM), considers trains to be punctual if they are five or 10 minutes after schedule, for short and long-distance trains are respectively, at their destination. The new measures will report cancellations and the proportion of trains arriving to the minute at every station on the timetable, known as a ‘station stop’, where technology allows...' [7]

Criticisms

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References

  1. 1 2 "Performance". NetworkRail. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  2. "Proportion of trains running on time". GOV.UK. Department for Transport. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  3. "Methodology — Public Performance Measure". Office of Rail and Road. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  4. "Final determination of Network Rail's outputs and funding for 2014-19". Office of Rail and Road. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  5. "Network Rail July 2015 PPM info sheet". Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  6. Railway Magazine September 1957 p. 597
  7. "Railway Performance". NetworkRail. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  8. "Network Rail's claim of 'record punctuality' runs into criticism". RailNews. 27 May 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  9. Network Rail