Luke Pollard says the high rate of train cancellations at Plymouth station is “simply unacceptable”, after it was revealed that 1 in 20 services were cancelled over the summer period.

Analysis of National Rail data, collated by On Time Trains, revealed that in the last twelve weeks at Plymouth station:

• 5% of trains were cancelled – equating to 1 in 20 services.
• Weekend cancellations ranked higher at 8%, with less than half of train services on time over the weekend (45%).
• Across the week, over 1 in 10 services (13%) were 10+ minutes late.

Plymouth station, which see a footfall of over 5,600 passengers each day, ranks in the bottom 500 stations since June 2023 for performance.

Luke has urged Ministers to sit down with the rail unions to end the strikes which have been causing disruption to train schedules this summer.

The Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP has also been campaigning to stop Plymouth train station ticket office from closure after the government pushed forwards with a consultation to shut nearly all rail ticket offices across the country.

Luke Pollard, Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said: 

“Whilst these figures are not as bad as elsewhere on the network, cancelling one in 20 trains is simply unacceptable for people in Plymouth who are already being priced off the railways despite services remaining slow and unreliable. 

“Labour will end the managed decline of our railways by bringing services back into public ownership, bring track and train together and put passengers first. 

“Rail workers do a great job for passengers. We need Transport Ministers to get a grip, stop boycotting talks, and speak with rail unions in order to end these strikes.” 

Luke has campaigned for the government to improve rail services in the South West since he was elected in 2017.

He also successfully campaigned with Plymouth Youth Music Service for funding from Great Western Rail to install a “people’s piano” in Plymouth train station, installed in November last year.