Main asks why I didn't mention that state owned trains in Europe are on time more than private trains in the UK. Well, that's another great example of how wrong people are. For 2024 👇 - United Kingdom: 91.2% - France: 89.0% - Germany: 82.5% - Italy: 82.0% - Spain: 81.0%
main.@vhjvh70477682
Oct 4
Replying to @LoftusSteve @Sam_Dumitriu
many people just think the rivers shouldnt be filled with sewage. dont know what else to tell you🤷 and do you have a reason for omitting the actual difference between european trains and uk trains that people complain about- that european nationalised ones are on time

Oct 5, 2026 · 11:02 AM UTC

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Replying to @LoftusSteve
difficult to respond to such a dishonest tweet (deliberate or unknowingly poorly sourced?) those stats use totally made up. post the source btw why dont you compare to switzerland and austria. 94% on time in both.
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I've given you the source. Why would I compare to much smaller nations and not our similarly sized European peers?
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
But it gets worse. Not only are they less punctual they get bigger average subsidy per journey too. No major country (and probably no minor country either) in Europe breaks even on Rail. Let alone makes a profit. Rail is an ineffective though politically fashionable money pit
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Source?
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
I dunno if I trust any stats coming out of our establishment. Does it write off cancellations? It's not late if it was never due, right?
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Cancellations are outside this but also very similar to European peers in that regard.
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
I'd rather have a slight delay than pay the extortionate prices we do. Why not put that in a table?
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Prices are not that much different unless you book the day before Each line: 30+ days ahead → one day ahead, €/100 km - UK, London–Birmingham: €10.0 → €46.5 - France, Paris–Marseille: €5.5 → €6.7 - Germany, Berlin–Hamburg: €9.4 → €20.6 - Italy, Rome–Milan: €12.6 → €23.1 - Spain, Madrid–Barcelona: €11.6 → €11.6
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
What about ticket prices and train cancellations? Uk is about 5% cancellations whilst Europe is about 1%
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Ticket prices are elsewhere here. Source for your cancellation numbers? Because I know France is 4% early timetable withdrawals, before 16:00 the previous day and 3% for last minute cancellations, after that cut-off.
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
How about comparing prices?
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It's not easy to compare. Different subsidy levels and scheme. France has services that are 75% subsidised and others not at all. Then there are all the different service types, topography, timing discounts etc etc But there was a study that compared the typical 100km journey booked 30 days in advance and 1 day in advance. - UK, London–Birmingham: €10.0 → €46.5 - France, Paris–Marseille: €5.5 → €6.7 - Germany, Berlin–Hamburg: €9.4 → €20.6 - Italy, Rome–Milan: €12.6 → €23.1 - Spain, Madrid–Barcelona: €11.6 → €11.6
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
Denmark Switzerland Holland Czech Republic Belgium
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I don't see how much smaller countries are relevant but sure. - Switzerland: 93.2% - Czech Republic: 90.0% - Belgium: 89.7% - Netherlands 89.4% Denmark no data
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
No source give. Now compare prices?
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Source is in replies. As are price.
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
Japanese trains are the most punctual in the world Japanese railways are almost entirely privatised
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
iirc, in getmany the inter-cities do ok, but the local services are awful.
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
I've experienced just how bad Germany is this summer. A whole line [in one area I visited] was shut down for major ugrades because the infrastructure is so old and falling apart!
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
Ive been on the local trains in germany and france Abysmal compared to UK The fast trains are good but the rest is poorer The Germans moan about it line hell as they do about Berlin airport or stuttgart 21 rail scheme being massively over budget and many years late
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
Always remember Steve, vibes trump facts.
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
According to a study by Transport & Environment tracking thousands of tickets across 27 European operators, UK train companies charge some of the highest rates. GWR fares averaged 2.5 times higher than the EU and Swiss average, while Avanti West Coast fares were 1.5 times higher.
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Replying to @LoftusSteve @RobertoSanPier1
Aren’t pretty much most of Europe’s train services now run on a franchise model ?
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
In Italy, Italo, the private company, has better punctuality than state-owned Trenitalia, on same HSR routes treniamo.it/en/guide/trenita…

Treniamo - Monitoraggio Treni in Tempo Reale

Monitoraggio treni italiani in tempo reale. Ritardi, partenze, arrivi e statistiche di puntualita.

treniamo.it
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
Yes, we underestimate how good UK train services are, especially the local services. The intercity ones are hampered by the fact that the lines (WCML, ECML etc) are operating at capacity, so any glitch has consequences for the rest fo the day.
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
> United Kingdom: 91.2% Europe has no harmonised threshold for an "on time" arrival of passenger services... but I'm sure you knew this! 😜
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
Anyone who has used European rail knows that shit is always late 🤣
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
Train tickets tend to be far cheaper in Europe though.
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
And are less safe: UK is the best (Ireland & Finland have barely any rail)
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
We didn't have the advantage of a new network post WW2 We still have Victorian infrastructure for the second busiest network in Europe. Around London it's the busiest place in the whole of Europe
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Replying to @LoftusSteve
Mainly due to the Government body Network Rail or whatever it's called now
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