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Railways: Standards

Asked by Mr Richard HoldenConservativeDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 3 July 2026UIN 13230

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2026 to Question 7525 on Railways: Standards, what categories of cause for service cancellations are routinely recorded by (a) her Department and (b) each state-owned Train Operating Company.

Answered by Keir Mather

The Department does not routinely hold data on service cancellations causes – this is held by operators and Network Rail, and published by the ORR. Since privatisation, the following summary categories have been routinely used across the rail industry to explain the causes of cancellations: Non-Track Assets, Network Management & Other, Track, External, Severe Weather, Autumn and Structures (Network Rail responsibility), Fleet, Traincrew, TOC Other, Operations, and Stations (Train Operator responsibility). As we move towards Great British Railways and the integration of track and train across the network, a Whole System Model approach is being developed, emphasising industry responsibility.

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