The media still comments about poor performance on Virgin’s West Coast rail franchise, despite the £9bn upgrade of the route. That may be a thing of the past. Virgin has just recorded its best-ever performance of 93.3% of trains ontime – the highest since it took over the West Coast rail franchise in March 1997 and average performance over the last three months is over 90%.
Most recent delays on the West Coast Main Line have been attributable to mechanical failure of the either the track or signal equipment, rather than the trains themselves. Consequently, in recent months, Virgin has been as frustrated as those it carries, with delays hampering its punctuality figures. Therefore, recording 93.3% over the past four weeks is quite an achievement - something the company has been so desperately trying to show since December 2008. (GL)
