Improve reliability of UK rail services
The Issue
About a year ago, I decided to make a significant change in my life. In September 2025, I let go of my car, a choice that was driven by the growing concern over my carbon footprint and the toll that countless hours on the motorway took on my well-being and mental peace. The motorway, once a symbol of freedom, had turned into a death trap in my eyes. I was seeking a more sustainable and less stressful way to commute over 300 miles each week for work. However, my transition to using the UK rail services has been anything but smooth or reassuring.
Despite the promise of a more environmentally friendly and supposedly efficient mode of transportation, I have found the train network to be fraught with unreliability. Trains are frequently delayed or canceled, causing significant disruptions not just to my work schedule but also to thousands of other commuters who rely on rail travel daily. The stress and uncertainty that accompany each journey negate the benefits of having given up my car.
Not to mention that it costs a significant amount of money to pay for weekly travel back and forth. On a monthly basis well it is not affordable, utilise credit to spread the cost. Also, given that I do not gain any financial benefit via a railcard due to my age and will be the case for many others who rely on trains to commute to work. This is proving tough within the UK now that it is in an economically challenged position.
What has caused me frustration the most. Is that I find that the rail network is so poor. That it does not provide a reliable service into the evenings. So that travellers can reach their destination within a reasonable timescale. With journeys stopping overnight when stations are directed to close, no thought to public safety. Why run a service that means people cannot reach home safely. At the same time the rail network does not want people hanging around at stations. Make it make sense. In the event that a train is delayed or cancelled a train company is liable to get you home safe, who will then spend hundreds of pounds on a taxi to get you home. I will have taken well over a dozen taxis within the last year. I believe that the same liability should be had on train companies who plan journeys to ensure that customers can reach their final destination well before midnight and within the same working day.
If a passenger is leaving a destination during the day and after working hours. They should be able to reach their final destination within the same day. A journey should not be taking over 10 hours. I mean you could go abroad to Europe and back in the time it can take me to reach my destination most weeks. It’s appalling. I question, whoever signs off long overnight waits as safe and a reasonable service, as legit, is beyond me.
Working people like me relie on trains to get to work, to pay the bills and try to survive. We live in a climate now where jobs are not on the doorstep. I have no choice but to travel 300miles for work. Regardless, nobody should be compromising their safety. Particularly when at times you can pay near £100 for a single ticket. It is day light robbery when you cannot arrive safely within the same day. Being told that it is your choice as a passenger is not acceptable. I have no choice in this matter and services need to improve. Add a delay or cancellation just causes so much frustration. It makes you question the point of working. It should not be so challenging.
Yesterday, I finally lost my patience. After my time on a train provider who has been rated one of worst in the UK. Had failed to allocate me a seat even though I purchased my ticket in advance, yet agian, sat on my suitcase for a journey taking well over two hours. To add to this, despite leaving destination on time, it ended up arriving late. It was late by 5 minutes, so not eligible for delay repay. However, the delay caused me to miss my connection, meaning I arrive late to my accommodation. I then recieve annoyed messages from the owner because l am arriving after their designated hours of check-in. I was just so frustrated by this point. Waiting another hour for the next train to end up walking late from final station to Accomodation. Is not ok. I purposely booked an afternoon train that would allow me to get back and settled well before 22:00. I am now delayed yet agian by another hour. This journey taking me 10 hours. This situation prompted me to create this petition late at night because I am just fed up. Rest my case.
For this specific route I take for work. I take three different trains with a an hour wait for one of my connections. It should be viable to take a train between cities outside London and arrive within an hour to hour and half maximum.
Statistics suggest that rail delays and cancellations in the UK have reached alarming levels, with millions of pounds in productivity lost and countless personal plans disrupted. In fact, reports reveal that about 15% of trains in the UK were delayed by more than five minutes in the past year, with even higher rates in some regions. This is simply unacceptable and unsustainable if we are to truly embrace a future where public transport plays a pivotal role in reducing our carbon emissions.
Investments must be made not just in train infrastructure but also in technology, staffing, and customer service to ensure that the rail system can accommodate the growing number of commuters turning towards greener alternatives. A comprehensive overhaul can include implementing real-time tracking systems, improving communication with passengers during disruptions, and modernizing trains and stations to prevent breakdowns and delays.
By pushing for these changes, we can build a reliable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable rail network. One that meets the needs of everyone now and in the future, contributing positively to the fight against climate change.
Join me in urging the UK government to take decisive action and invest in transforming our rail services for the betterment of commuters and the environment alike. Sign this petition today and help bring about a brighter, more sustainable future for public transport in the UK.
25
The Issue
About a year ago, I decided to make a significant change in my life. In September 2025, I let go of my car, a choice that was driven by the growing concern over my carbon footprint and the toll that countless hours on the motorway took on my well-being and mental peace. The motorway, once a symbol of freedom, had turned into a death trap in my eyes. I was seeking a more sustainable and less stressful way to commute over 300 miles each week for work. However, my transition to using the UK rail services has been anything but smooth or reassuring.
Despite the promise of a more environmentally friendly and supposedly efficient mode of transportation, I have found the train network to be fraught with unreliability. Trains are frequently delayed or canceled, causing significant disruptions not just to my work schedule but also to thousands of other commuters who rely on rail travel daily. The stress and uncertainty that accompany each journey negate the benefits of having given up my car.
Not to mention that it costs a significant amount of money to pay for weekly travel back and forth. On a monthly basis well it is not affordable, utilise credit to spread the cost. Also, given that I do not gain any financial benefit via a railcard due to my age and will be the case for many others who rely on trains to commute to work. This is proving tough within the UK now that it is in an economically challenged position.
What has caused me frustration the most. Is that I find that the rail network is so poor. That it does not provide a reliable service into the evenings. So that travellers can reach their destination within a reasonable timescale. With journeys stopping overnight when stations are directed to close, no thought to public safety. Why run a service that means people cannot reach home safely. At the same time the rail network does not want people hanging around at stations. Make it make sense. In the event that a train is delayed or cancelled a train company is liable to get you home safe, who will then spend hundreds of pounds on a taxi to get you home. I will have taken well over a dozen taxis within the last year. I believe that the same liability should be had on train companies who plan journeys to ensure that customers can reach their final destination well before midnight and within the same working day.
If a passenger is leaving a destination during the day and after working hours. They should be able to reach their final destination within the same day. A journey should not be taking over 10 hours. I mean you could go abroad to Europe and back in the time it can take me to reach my destination most weeks. It’s appalling. I question, whoever signs off long overnight waits as safe and a reasonable service, as legit, is beyond me.
Working people like me relie on trains to get to work, to pay the bills and try to survive. We live in a climate now where jobs are not on the doorstep. I have no choice but to travel 300miles for work. Regardless, nobody should be compromising their safety. Particularly when at times you can pay near £100 for a single ticket. It is day light robbery when you cannot arrive safely within the same day. Being told that it is your choice as a passenger is not acceptable. I have no choice in this matter and services need to improve. Add a delay or cancellation just causes so much frustration. It makes you question the point of working. It should not be so challenging.
Yesterday, I finally lost my patience. After my time on a train provider who has been rated one of worst in the UK. Had failed to allocate me a seat even though I purchased my ticket in advance, yet agian, sat on my suitcase for a journey taking well over two hours. To add to this, despite leaving destination on time, it ended up arriving late. It was late by 5 minutes, so not eligible for delay repay. However, the delay caused me to miss my connection, meaning I arrive late to my accommodation. I then recieve annoyed messages from the owner because l am arriving after their designated hours of check-in. I was just so frustrated by this point. Waiting another hour for the next train to end up walking late from final station to Accomodation. Is not ok. I purposely booked an afternoon train that would allow me to get back and settled well before 22:00. I am now delayed yet agian by another hour. This journey taking me 10 hours. This situation prompted me to create this petition late at night because I am just fed up. Rest my case.
For this specific route I take for work. I take three different trains with a an hour wait for one of my connections. It should be viable to take a train between cities outside London and arrive within an hour to hour and half maximum.
Statistics suggest that rail delays and cancellations in the UK have reached alarming levels, with millions of pounds in productivity lost and countless personal plans disrupted. In fact, reports reveal that about 15% of trains in the UK were delayed by more than five minutes in the past year, with even higher rates in some regions. This is simply unacceptable and unsustainable if we are to truly embrace a future where public transport plays a pivotal role in reducing our carbon emissions.
Investments must be made not just in train infrastructure but also in technology, staffing, and customer service to ensure that the rail system can accommodate the growing number of commuters turning towards greener alternatives. A comprehensive overhaul can include implementing real-time tracking systems, improving communication with passengers during disruptions, and modernizing trains and stations to prevent breakdowns and delays.
By pushing for these changes, we can build a reliable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable rail network. One that meets the needs of everyone now and in the future, contributing positively to the fight against climate change.
Join me in urging the UK government to take decisive action and invest in transforming our rail services for the betterment of commuters and the environment alike. Sign this petition today and help bring about a brighter, more sustainable future for public transport in the UK.
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Petition created on 6 September 2026