Punctuality on the railways reached 91.6% during period 12, according to monthly performance data released today by Network Rail. The data for Britain’s train services covers the period from 5 February 2012 - 3 March 2012. This compares to 92.5% for the same period last year. The moving annual average is now at 91.6%.

Performance on the East Coast main line is improving with P12 this year for East Coast significantly ahead of the 82.5% recorded in 2010/11. Around 40% of delays this period were caused by external factors with a number of significant fatalities - at Grantham, Dringhouses near York, Biggleswade and Heaton near Newcastle - affecting train punctuality.

Arrived on time - the measure of train punctuality also known as PPM (public performance measure) means trains arriving at their destinations within five minutes for commuter services and within 10 minutes for long distance services. This measure of punctuality is commonly used throughout Europe. Heathrow Express, Grand Central, Hull Trains and Eurostar are not included in the national PPM.

National train punctuality is measured for all trains across the whole network, including cancelled services and delays caused by external factors (such as vandalism, extreme weather, suicides etc). Punctuality did not start to be recorded in this vigorous and thorough way until 1997. Before then Railtrack, and BR before it, did not measure all services and also excluded external factors and other items from their numbers.

These figures represent provisional data for the period and individual operators’ performance data may vary slightly from the full period performance report that Network Rail publishes on its website every month.