Request ID: FOI-1651-2122 Date published: 25 November 2021
You asked
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2006 you will also supply the total number of train cancellations to all destinations on the Met line and what is that as a percentage to the number of trains that run there? I make this point as other destinations such as Amersham, Watford and Uxbridge all have alternatives nearby whereas Chesham is intentionally discriminated against in that it does not have an alternative, apart from a crap bus.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-1651-2122
Thank you for your request of 19th October 2021 asking for information about cancellations on the Metropolitan Line. On the 2nd November 2021 you further clarified your request, stating that it relates to the period 1st May 2021 to 31st October 2021.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“Under the Freedom of Information Act 2006 you will also supply the total number of train cancellations to all destinations on the Met line and what is that as a percentage to the number of trains that run there?
“I also require it to be broken to total number of cancellations for each of the 4 Western terminals on the Met line, what is the total number of cancellations per day as a percentage to the total number of trains that were supposed to run and what is the total number of passenger journeys disrupted for each station.”
I can confirm that we hold some of the requested information.
Please see the attached spreadsheet (which has several worksheets within it) which provides the data we hold in relation to your request. However, please be aware that this data is heavily caveated as we know it is not accurate. The tool used for recording train movements on parts of Metropolitan Line line can produce intermittent data due to various technical issues. This is an ongoing fault for the Amersham and Chesham branches and therefore there are gaps in the data for some days. Also note that the train counts on the Amersham Branch - where the measuring point is Rickmansworth or Amersham - can be distorted due to the track being shared with other Train Operating Companies and our equipment recording those trains as well as London Underground services. Due to these issues the data for some days may show an over or under count of what actually happened on the day, and therefore this data cannot be taken as an accurate reflection of performance. These issues will be resolved when the signalling equipment is upgraded in the future. Given this data is inaccurate, it is also not possible for us to provide data showing “the total number of passenger journeys disrupted for each station". Even if the performance data were entirely accurate, I understand that this would still be a complex question to answer for various reasons. We do publish entry and exit data for individual stations (see here: https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiMjZjMmQwYTktZjYxNS00MTIwLTg0ZjAtNWIwNGE0ODMzZGJhIiwidCI6IjFmYmQ2NWJmLTVkZWYtNGVlYS1hNjkyLWEwODljMjU1MzQ2YiIsImMiOjh9 - click “Understood - take me to the reports”, then “Demand by station type”, and you can then select a specific station from the list on the right, and a specific date from the tabs at the top of the page). While this should not be equated with the number of passengers disrupted on any given day, it does give an indication of the level of use of the station, which may be of interest. Note further that we proactively publish London Underground performance data - including data on “lost customer hours” - on our website via the following link, which is the best source for such data:
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
