First Capital Connect : An illustration of how they fiddle the figures

The First Capital Connect website quotes their punctuality performance figures. To be late, a train has to arrive more than 5 minutes late at it's final destination. First Capital Connect are desperately trying to hang on to their franchise and one of the things they are doing is trying to fiddle these figures. One method they use is to cut out stops on late running trains. There is a graphic example of this on their journey check website as I write this. Here are the details : -

09:14 Luton to Sutton Surrey due 11:05
This train has been delayed and is now 12 minutes late from Harpenden
This train has been revised.
It will no longer call at: Radlett, Elstree & Borehamwood, Mill Hill Broadway, Hendon, Cricklewood, West Hampstead Thameslink and Kentish Town.
09:14     09:14     Luton
09:16     09:16     Luton Airport Parkway
09:22     09:22     Harpenden
09:29     09:41     St Albans City
09:34     Not Stopping     Radlett
09:38     Not Stopping     Elstree & Borehamwood
09:43     Not Stopping     Mill Hill Broadway
09:46     Not Stopping     Hendon
09:50     Not Stopping     Cricklewood
09:54     Not Stopping     West Hampstead Thameslink
10:00     Not Stopping     Kentish Town
10:04     10:08     St Pancras International
10:09     10:13     Farringdon
10:13     10:17     City Thameslink
10:16     10:20     London Blackfriars
10:19     10:23     Elephant & Castle
10:23     10:27     Loughborough Jn
10:27     10:31     Herne Hill
10:31     10:35     Tulse Hill
10:35     10:39     Streatham
10:40     10:44     Tooting
10:43     10:47     Haydons Road
10:47     10:51     Wimbledon
10:50     10:54     Wimbledon Chase
10:52     10:56     South Merton
10:54     10:58     Morden South
10:56     11:00     St Helier
10:58     11:02     Sutton Common
11:01     11:05     West Sutton
11:05     11:09     Sutton Surrey
This is due to an operating incident.
Message Received: 09:37:01 01/02/2010   

As you can see, the train is 12 minute late at St Albans. This means that it will count as a late train. What did they do? They cut out all of the stops to St Pancras. You will notice that at St Pancras, the train is now only 4 minutes late (inside the 5 minutes where it counts as a late train). It should also arrive at Sutton "on time" by the designated measure.

Guess what? Whilst I was writing the blog, this message changed. It now says :-

09:14 Luton to Sutton Surrey due 11:05
This train is now running on time.
This is due to an operating incident.
Message Received: 10:38:16 01/02/2010

On Time???? Not if you live between St Albans and St Pancras !!!!!! Do you trust this company?

So what has really happened. Passengers at 7 stations, who already had a late train, now have no train at all. Who are FCC running the service for? Clearly not the passengers. Just for their own profits.

There are a few other problems today. The usual mix of Bad weather and "operating incidents".

11:14 Luton to Sutton Surrey due 13:05
This train will be formed of 4 coaches instead of 8.
This is due to poor weather conditions.
Message Received: 09:59:34 01/02/2010
   
14:44 St Albans City to Sutton Surrey due 16:06
This train will be formed of 4 coaches instead of 8.
This is due to an operating incident.
Message Received: 10:02:38 01/02/2010   
   
18:08 St Albans City to Sutton Surrey due 19:40
This train will be formed of 4 coaches instead of 8.
This is due to an operating incident.
Message Received: 10:04:56 01/02/2010

How long must we tolerate this farce? Lord Adonis must act now