SCOTRAIL is one of the UK’s most reliable train operators, a new study has suggested.

The company was ranked fourth in analysis of official figures for the country’s 24 major train companies that focused on the percentage of journeys cancelled or delayed by 15 minutes or more.

The study indicated 3.61% of ScotRail journeys between January 2021 and September 2023 were seriously late or cancelled on average.

According to the analysis by Tripplo - which used date from the Office of Rail and Road - the most reliable train operator in the UK during the period in question was Greater Anglia, which runs services in East Anglia.

Second placed was c2c, which operates services in Essex and the third slot went to Chiltern Railways.

READ MORE: Kate Forbes calls for urgent solution to 'Harry Potter' train suspension

But while ScotRail came out favourably, several other train companies which operate journeys to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow were among the least reliable.

Avanti West Coast – which runs services to and from Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley - came out as the least reliable in the UK with more than 15% of all trains being cancelled or delayed by 15 minutes or more, which works out at just over one in six trains not arriving when expected.

Second least reliable was Grand Central, which operates between Yorkshire and London, and third place went to CrossCountry, which has cross-border services to and from Edinburgh and saw 12.26% of its trains arriving 15 minutes or more late or cancelled altogether.

Lumo and LNER – which both run services to and from Edinburgh – were the fourth and fifth least reliable in the study.

Also among the worst 10 performing operators were Caledonian Sleeper, with 9.42% of all trains cancelled or seriously late, and TransPennine Express – which again serves Edinburgh – with a score of 9.29%.

Axel Hernborg, founder of Tripplo, said the findings of the study show how the UK’s rail network is some way off that of Europe’s when it comes to reliability.

READ MORE: Scottish firms explore oil and gas transition at Germany event

He said: “Across the nation, there's a noticeable variation in performance, with some operators, such as Avanti West Coast, consistently under-performing.

“This variability in findings perhaps highlights the complexity of maintaining a cohesive rail network while emphasising the necessity for ongoing evaluation, strategic planning, and investment to bolster reliability standards and enhance the overall passenger experience.

“It’s no secret that the UK’s rail network is a far shout from those within mainland Europe in terms of efficiency and reliability, and these findings simply underscore that.”