Are the railways working for passengers? Take part in the Express & Star Great Train Survey
Been on the train recently? Did it take the strain, or were you left frustrated and world-weary?
Today we launch the Great Railway Survey to gauge your views on services in our region.
It aims to give a snapshot of attitudes to a rail network that critics say is not fit for purpose.
Passengers have been hit in recent months by strikes and cancelled services caused by a lack of staff. And, when trains do run, there are often engineering works to contend with or other problems that can make your arrival late.
Avanti West Coast was earlier this year told it could continue running trains through the West Midlands.
But its report card had big capital letters marked in red: “Must do better”.
The train operator, owned by FirstGroup, was handed a short-term contract extension by the Department for Transport (DfT).
The operator has struggled with reliability and punctuality during parts of the past year. Passengers have been exasperated by strikes, cancelled trains and a reduced timetable because of driver shortages and a difficulty in buying advance tickets.
And, when a train turns up, they can be overcrowded and late.
Data from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) revealed Avanti West Coast was the worst offender for delays between October and December last year. It showed only 34 per cent of its services ran on time, with the situation 11.3 per cent worse than the same period in 2021.
The ORR showed Avanti West Coast also had the highest number of cancellations at 10.5 per cent, followed by CrossCountry at 10.3 per cent. Meanwhile West Midlands Trains had 5.1 per cent, which was an improvement.
The Avanti contract is important as it covers one of the busiest routes in the country, on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Glasgow Central. It serves stations in the West Midlands including Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stafford as well as branches to North Wales, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is also crucial to the economy of the West Midlands that trains run on time, particularly with its link between our region and the capital.
Many will also rely on local services, provided by companies like West Midlands Trains and Transport for Wales. Welsh First Minister recently said services there have "not been of a standard that passengers are entitled to expect".
Meanwhile, spare a thought for Trans Penine Express (TPE) passengers. Its services are so poor that they were re-nationalised. On one day in January, nearly half of the 330 daily trains the company should operate did not run.
Recent analysis suggests that, since the service has been taken into state control in May, there has been no improvement, meaning the frustration of passengers goes on.
Our Great Rail Survey can be found above. It will be open until Thursday and we will provide you with results and analysis next week.
