Unveiling the Tracks ! (UK Railway Performance Dashboard)

1. Overview

Key Points:

• 12 departing stations and 32 arriving destinations.
• A total of 31.65K trips, with an on-time performance of 86.8%.
• 10.9% of trips were delayed, and 5.9% were cancelled.

Narrative: The railway network operates across 12 departing stations and 32 arriving destinations, facilitating 31.65K trips. The majority of these trips (86.8%) are punctual, demonstrating strong operational efficiency. However, there are areas for improvement, with 10.9% delays and 5.9% cancellations impacting passenger experience.

2. Traversed Networks

Key Points:

• Birmingham New Street is the busiest station and has the highest number of destination networks.
• The Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street route has the highest frequency of trips.
• The longest route is Edinburgh Waverley to London Kings Cross, and the shortest is Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central.

Narrative: Birmingham New Street stands out as a central hub, handling the highest traffic and connecting to numerous destinations. The most frequented route, Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street, indicates a high demand for connectivity between these cities. Conversely, the shortest route, Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central, suggests a preference for shorter, inter-city travel.

3. Booking Preferences

Key Points:

• 41.4% of bookings are made at the station, while 58.5% are online.
• Credit cards are the most preferred payment mode (60.5%).
• Online bookings are generally preferred, but adults tend to book at the station.
• Most bookings are made in advance, preferring standard travel class.
• Weekdays are the preferred booking period.

Narrative: The shift towards digital platforms is evident, with 58.5% of bookings made online. Credit cards dominate as the payment method of choice. Although online booking is prevalent, adults show a preference for booking at the station, possibly for convenience or immediate travel needs. Advanced booking and standard class travel are favored, with weekdays being the prime booking period.

4. Railway Performance

Key Points:

• Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street has the highest cancellation rate.
• Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston experiences the most delays.
• March is the most impacted month, with weather being the largest cause of delays and signal issues the primary cause of cancellations.
• Peak times are 6 AM - 8 AM and 4 PM - 7 PM.

Narrative: Operational challenges are highlighted on the Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street route with the highest cancellations. Delays are most frequent on the Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston route, especially in March due to adverse weather. Signal issues are a major cause of cancellations, and peak travel times see the most congestion, requiring targeted interventions to improve reliability.

5. Journey Durations

Key Points:

• Total expected travel hours: 11.84K; total actual travel hours: 12.37K.
• Manchester Piccadilly has the highest delayed departures, and London Euston has the highest delayed arrivals.
• Delays range from under 30 minutes to over 3 hours, with the most delayed routes being Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street.

Narrative: The discrepancy between expected and actual travel hours points to delays totaling 0.54K hours. Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston are critical nodes with significant delays in departures and arrivals, respectively. The majority of delays fall within the 30 minutes to 1-hour range, but substantial delays also occur, particularly on the Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street route.

6. Revenue

Key Points:

• Net earnings: 702.7K, gross earnings: 1.68M.
• Discounts total 1.10M, and refunds total 107.6K.
• Off-peak tickets see the highest discounts (47.69%).
• The London Kings Cross to York and London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street routes avail the most discounts.
• January has the highest refunds (32.6K).

Narrative: Financial performance is marked by significant discounts, particularly for off-peak travel, impacting net earnings. High discount availed routes like London Kings Cross to York and London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street reveal consumer patterns favoring discounted travel. January's peak in refunds necessitates a review of service issues during this period. The inverse relationship between bookings and revenue highlights the need to balance customer incentives with financial sustainability.