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West Coast Main Line: Standards

Asked by Tim FarronLiberal DemocratDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 4 September 2026UIN 19334

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times trains have been delayed or cancelled on the West Coast Main Line due to livestock being on the line in 2021-2022, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26.

Answered by Department for Transport

The Department does not hold data on delays and cancellations caused by livestock on the West Coast Main Line, as Network Rail records such incidents at a regional level. The closest available data is for Network Rail's North West and Central region, which includes the West Coast Main Line.

The number of livestock-related incidents, associated delay minutes and cancellations recorded in the North West and Central region were:

Financial Year

Incident Count

Delay Minutes

Cancellations

2021/22

238

10,615

146

2022/23

206

12,955

170

2023/24

353

29,133

103

2024/25

342

30,332

287

2025/26

485

43,663

305

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