Wigan's MP highlights 'dire situation' of railways as Gathurst sees second highest number of cancellations

Rail passengers in England are being shown how often trains are cancelled and delayed at individual stations for the first time, with digital screens showing the statistics at major stations.

And the data revealed that 16.2 per cent of trains due to stop at Gathurst between January 5 and February 1 were cancelled – the second highest percentage in the country.

The highest cancellation score of any station in England was 22.8 per cent at Ince and Elton in Cheshire, which is one of the least used in the country and was scheduled to have just 92 services during the period.

Train reliability across Britain is at a record low, with the equivalent of more than one in 25 services cancelled in the year to February 1.

Ms Nandy said she knew “how frustrated and disappointed” passengers would be and that the railway network was in a “dire situation”.

She said: "Newly released information from the Office of Rail and Road has revealed that Gathurst railway station in Wigan is the second worst in the country for the number of services cancelled.

“Since I was first elected in 2010, I have campaigned relentlessly in support of the Southport-Wigan-Manchester service and its passengers, so I know how frustrated and disappointed they will feel at the lack of improvement after so long.

“This is especially true for those using Appley Bridge station, for whom problems have been a common occurrence. I am particularly grateful to the travellers' associations for their diligence and perseverance on this issue over the years.

“The fact that only 33 stations out of 18,000 across the country had no cancellations in the first month of the year is further proof of the dire situation our railway network has been left in after years of mismanagement and a lack of investment.

“That's why this Labour Government is taking the railways back into public ownership as contracts expire, saving £100 million in management fees currently paid to private operators and giving passengers the service they deserve with a rail network managed in the public interest.”