UK rail system described as ‘broken’ as 2022 data reveals extent of disruption

Delays and cancellations linked to 20 years of privatisation, rising costs and labour shortages worsened by pandemic, say experts

Rail passengers have been delayed or disrupted on more than half of all train services departing from 15 of Great Britain's busiest stations in the last year, Guardian analysis shows, exposing what has been described as a broken" railway system that cannot easily be fixed.

Experts said the figures - which show rail services in the north and Midlands as the hardest hit - demonstrated the impact of two decades of privatisation, which had increased costs and public subsidies, combined with labour shortages exacerbated by the pandemic.