The Department recognises that delays and cancellations, especially those made close to the time of travel, can be very inconvenient for passengers and prevent them from travelling with confidence. When trains are regularly cancelled this can disrupt people’s lives, communities and the economy. The Department does not hold information on the cost to the economy of the current poor performance on parts of the rail network. The Department has been clear that industry needs to make significant improvements to deliver the punctual, reliable services across the country that support economic growth.