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Train punctuality in 2020

16.02.2021

In 2020 95% of passenger trains and 46% of freight trains arrived on time at their destination. As compared to 2019 train punctuality improved. The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on train punctuality was visible.

The percentage of passenger trains on time increased from 92.46% in 2019 to 94.62% in 2020. In 2020 rail operators launched 135 thous. less (7.9%) trains than the year before. The reduction in traffic meant that the network capacity increased and trains were less exposed to delay factors.

The situation was similar in rail freight – the lower number of passenger trains, which generally have priority on the railway network, allowed freight trains to run faster, they were also less exposed to downtime, waiting for a passenger train to pass, etc. The punctuality of freight trains increased from 41.62% in 2019 to 46.11% in 2020.

- Increased train punctuality in 2020 was an unforeseen but positive effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the one hand, a fewer trains were able to move more efficiently on a less crowded network. On the other hand, there were situations when sanitary restrictions extended the time of boarding and disembarking of passengers which caused some delays. Among causes of delays of passenger trains, those related to rolling stock still have a large share – in 2020 more than 25% of the total train delay time was caused by defects in rolling stock and rolling stock-related problems – comments Ignacy Góra, the President of the Office of Rail Transport.

4Q 2020

From October to December 2020 93.75% of passenger trains arrived on time at their final destination (with delays of more than 5 minutes 59 seconds). The highest punctuality rate was recorded in November – 94.68%. In October trains were on time in 93.35% and in December – 93.25%. Passenger operators in 4Q 2020 launched over 427 thous. trains (a rise by almost 8 thous. trains as compared to 3Q). Over 3.2 thous. of passenger trains were cancelled. The average delay was 21 minutes (the same as in 3Q 2020). WKD, the Warsaw Commuter Railway, had the highest punctuality rate (99.52%). PKP Intercity’s punctuality rate was 87.24%.

More data on passenger trains punctuality you can find in the recently published study Punctuality of passenger trains in 2020 (in Polish).

In 4Q 2020 43.81% of freight trains were on time. The highest punctuality rate was recorded in December – 44.70%. In October trains were on time in 43.57% and in November – 43.20%. The average delay of a freight train in 4Q 2020 was 637 minutes (an increase from 588 minutes in 3Q). Freight operators launched over 115 thous. trains (a rise by almost 7 thous. trains as compared to 3Q). Almost 8.1 thous. freight trains were cancelled.

Detailed data on train punctuality in 4Q 2020 can be found in the Passenger transport statistics section and the Freight statistics section (with interactive graphs).

 

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