The London train station that is officially the worst in Britain for cancellations

We’ve all been there. Arms aching from dragging a suitcase up and down escalators, nerves frayed as you dash through St Pancras – or worse, Euston, eyes searching the departure boards, praying your train is still running, when the PA system chimes in: ‘We are sorry to announce that the 10.42 train from platform three has been cancelled.’

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. According to new figures from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), three million stops were cancelled across Britain between August 2024 and August 2025 (out of 89 million scheduled). That’s a whole lot of missed connections and grumpy passengers.

While the northeast of England topped the table with the highest cancellation rate at 4.5 percent, London ranked eighth out of 12 UK regions, with 3.3 percent of services cancelled. But which London stations should you avoid if you want to dodge commuter stress?

Nationwide, City Thameslink in London ranked worst among Britain’s busiest stations overall, with one in 13 trains cancelled over the year from August 2024 to August 2025. The City of London hub connects with destinations like Cambridge, Brighton and Gatwick Airport, and is operated by Thameslink.

Farringdon was second worst station for cancellations, with 4.9 percent of services scrapped. That’s nearly five in every 100 trains. The Clerkenwell stop is a major Thameslink station linking the capital to Gatwick and Brighton, with over 140 trains an hour at peak times including the Elizabeth line and tube services.

Euston and Paddington followed closely behind, both seeing 3.4 percent of services cancelled. Paddington, Britain’s second busiest station with 66.9 million users last year, connects travellers to areas such as Oxford, Reading, Cardiff, and Heathrow. 

Other cancellation hotspots included Stratford (3.2 percent), London Bridge (2.9 percent) and Waterloo (2.6 percent).

What’s being done about these cancellations? The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act was passed last year to replace railway franchises and bring them under public ownership, which has already begun. A new body, Great British Railways, is set to be created by 2027 to take charge of bringing all services in England, Scotland and Wales under public ownership, with the aim of cutting delays and improving reliability.

In the meantime, the Department for Transport insists operators are already starting to improve. A spokesperson said train companies will be held to ‘rigorous, bespoke standards’, and pointed to ‘positive signs of progress with overall cancellations starting to fall’

Back in 2024 London accounted for half of the UK’s worst train stations for cancellations – no huge surprise there given the capital sees over 26 million daily trips across all modes of transport. Earlier this year it was revealed that the city’s smaller stations had some of the worst cancellation rates, such as Homerton at 9.2 percent and Hackney Wick at 8.7 percent. 

If a stress-free commute is top of your wish list, head north. Scotland boasts the UK’s most reliable rail network, with just two percent of trains cancelled – making it the best place in Britain to actually trust your travel timetable. 

The 11 worst London train stations for cancellations from August 2024 to August 2025

1. London City Thameslink 7.7 percent
2. Farringdon 4.9 percent
3. London Euston 3.4 percent
4. London Paddington 3.4 percent
5. Stratford 3.2 percent
6. London Bridge 2.9 percent
7. Bond Street 2.8 percent
8. Tottenham Court Road 2.7 percent
9. London Waterloo 2.6 percent
10. London Liverpool Street 2.1 percent
11. London Victoria 1.8 percent

Here’s every major rail operator in Britain, ranked from worst to best.

Plus:10 busiest trains in England.

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