Elizabeth line tops list of train cancellations

The Elizabeth line first opened in May 2022, and fully opened a year later

The UK's newest railway line had more cancellations than any other, new Office of Rail and Road figures show.

A total of 9.1% of services on the Elizabeth line did not run in the four weeks to 19 August, followed by CrossCountry at 7.5%.

Overall cancellations rose to 3.9% from 3.3% in the previous four weeks. Last week, it was revealed almost half of trains arrived at least a minute late.

Transport for London (TfL) apologised for a "number of recent issues".

It comes just months after the line, which links Reading and Essex via central London, fully opened in May.

• Commuters queue from dawn to use Elizabeth line

According to TfL, up to 24 trains an hour are expected to run at the busiest times between Paddington and Whitechapel.

But commuters have previously told the BBC their journeys have been disrupted by a number of delays and cancellations.

Howard Smith, Elizabeth Line director, said: "The Elizabeth line has rightly and quickly become one of the most popular railways in the country.

"It has also been one of the most reliable, but we have had a difficult period which included disruption for our customers for which we apologise.

"There were a number of recent issues including significant problems with Network Rail's signalling systems and infrastructure on the western section, and a defective maintenance train.

"We continue to work with all parties involved in the Elizabeth line to provide a safe and reliable railway. This includes our partners, such as Network Rail, and a programme of upgrades delivered by the train manufacturer, Alstom, will further improve reliability of our fleet of trains."

When P-coded cancellations were included in the overall figure for England, Wales and Scotland, the total number of cancelled trains rose to 4.6%, up from 3.7% in the previous period.

P-coding means services axed up to 22:00 BST the night before, meaning trains in effect disappear from the overnight timetable and so do not show up in on-the-day cancellation statistics.

Northern Trains, run by the government's Operator of Last Resort, had the highest number of P-coded cancellations as a result of train crew shortages.

It recorded 2,064 in the latest period, and 56 where part of the journey was cancelled.

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]