Train passengers lost nearly one million minutes to signal failure delays in past five years

Train passengers have lost nearly one million minutes to delays caused by signal failures in the past five years.

A total of 988,419 minutes of delays across England, Scotland and Wales since the 2018-19 financial year have been due to signal failures, Network Rail data shows.

The data was published after the Liberal Democrats submitted a Freedom of Information request to the company.

The party is calling for a freeze on rail fares due to poor service.

So far this financial year, which began in April, there have been more than 1,000 signal failures on journeys, with passengers having spent nearly 40,000 minutes waiting, the data shows.

In the last financial year, there were delays of nearly 190,000 minutes due to faulty signals.

The Network Rail data shows more than 36,000 signal failures since 2018-19, leading to nearly 15,000 journey cancellations - 10,078 partial cancellations and 4,266 full cancellations.

Lib Dem transport spokeswoman, MP Wera Hobhouse said: "Passengers have put up with years of unacceptable delays and extortionate rail fares. They are forced to pay through the nose for a service that they cannot rely on.

"These damning figures lay bare the state of neglect that the Conservative Party left our railways in, leaving passengers to pay the price.

"With thousands of signal failures, it is clear that our rail infrastructure is not delivering for passengers who rely on these services just to go about their everyday lives.

"That is why it's time to put passengers first and ensure services run smoothly so they no longer have to suffer these damaging delays. Passengers should also not be forced to pay more for a service that is simply not working which is why we need an immediate freeze on rail fares."

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A Network Rail spokesman said: "Passengers want and deserve a safe and reliable railway. Together, the rail industry is determined to run a better railway, reducing delays and cancellations and providing a service that can be relied upon."

Passengers delayed due to signalling or points issues get a full or partial refund from the train operator, who are, in turn, compensated by Network Rail for delays caused by their network.

Labour have promised to re-nationalise all passenger rail services when existing private contracts come to an end.

Privately owned operators such as Thameslink, Great Western Railway, East Midlands Railway and Avanti West Coast would gradually be brought into public ownership.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has proposed a single company to run both rail infrastructure and trains in the long term.

At the moment, they are split between Network Rail - which is publicly owned - looking after the tracks, wires and signals, and multiple companies running the trains.

Most stations are owned by Network Rail but run by the train company serving them, but Network Rail operates 20 stations directly, including most London rail stations, and some in other major cities.

A Conservative spokesman said: "Signal failures are a nightmare for passengers. That's why back in 2022 we gave Network Rail a historic £44 billion five year settlement to modernise our railway infrastructure.

"It's also why we started joining up the running of track and train into a single body. Instead of prioritising these plans to get public bodies working better, Labour have decided to focus their energy on bringing even more of the network under public control."