This is Somerset -- If ever a set of figures was needed to sum up the British psyche, the latest numbers concerning our railways may perhaps do it. Though we pay the most in Europe and more than half the trains in parts of the country are late, we are still the most satisfied of our Continental family. In a scenario that would doubtless have the French apopleptic, the Germans tutting and the Swiss shaking their watches, British rail operators only get two-thirds of trains to run on time - though Network Rail shoulders 60 per cent of the blame. Official figures from train operators show that an average of 84.4 per cent of trains in the UK ran on time from November to December; a small fall from 85.4 per cent in the previous year and below the moving 12-monthly average of 90.4 per cent. But figures from operators define late as within ten minutes of schedule (five for London and the South East), whereas Network Rail's "right-time" figures allow just a minute's delay – and paint a significantly different picture, with just 44.5 per cent of Cross Country services, which link the South West and North East, meeting target. First Great Western finished middle of the table by both measures, with 84 per cent of services on time by its own measure and 68 per cent by the NR measure. Stagecoach Southwest fared similarly (86 per cent and 67 per cent), with both close to the national averages of 84 per cent and 67 per cent. The best operator was Chiltern, whose trains satisfied the NR criteria on 83 per cent of occasions. But despite the low figures, satisfaction is the highest in Europe, according to an EC survey of 26,000 travellers. In the UK, 78 per cent of those questioned gave either a "high" or "good" rating to services – ahead of satisfaction levels among passengers in France (74 per cent), Netherlands (67 per cent), Germany (51 per cent) and Italy (39 per cent). Of the 26 countries covered in the survey, only Finland, with a much smaller, less complex rail network, scored a higher overall rating than in the UK. The UK also topped Europe's seven major railways in the specific areas of punctuality and reliability, information during journeys and accessibility, three of the key areas the EC focused on in its survey. Michael Roberts, director general of UK industry body the Rail Delivery Group, said: "Passenger satisfaction in the UK has reached record levels in recent years and this latest study shows that in many areas we're setting the standard for our European neighbours to follow. "As record numbers of passengers choose to travel by train, we need to improve even further in the coming years. The industry is working hard together to make rail travel more affordable and to offer even better services that meet passengers' expectations. "Continued investment in the network and an industry focused on providing passengers with enhanced services will ensure that our railway continues to grow and improve."
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