A third of trains passing through Huntingdon were either late or cancelled during the past three months, according to data seen by The Hunts Post.

Just 55 per cent of trains at Huntingdon station were on time, with six per cent late by at least 10 minutes, according to industry data collated by On Time Trains. 

The station, which sees 3,568 passengers travel through per day, was ranked 2,008th out of 2,633, with a performance score of 80 per cent. 

Data from the website shows how often trains in the district were on time as well as their overall performance score based on service punctuality and cancellation frequency.

Using the 0-59 seconds ‘on time’ measurement, Huntingdon station saw 60 per cent of trains arrive within 59 seconds for this period and St Neots 65 per cent. 

A total of 18 per cent of trains in Huntingdon during the past six months were late by between one and two minutes, seven per cent by three to four minutes and six per cent by five to nine minutes. 

Up to eight per cent of trains were cancelled, the data showed.

Nearby St Neots was ranked 1,987th, with 56 per cent of trains arriving on time during the same period. 

Govia Thameslink Railway said the online aggregator can "overstate" the number of late-running trains because they include trains that depart the station late as well as those arriving late in their statistics. 

Using its own industry data, the operator said 80 per cent of the trains at Huntingdon arrived within three minutes of their scheduled arrival time and 83 per cent at St Neots.

Sara Parker*, who commutes regularly from Huntingdon, said she has lost "thousands of pounds" in come due to the "unreliability or trains". 

The freelance private chef said she was "upset" by recent strikes which she claimed were "unfair" for commuters. 

She added: "We made a sacrifice to live out here so we could have more space at home plus enjoy being in the countryside and we knew the cost of the commute.

"However, since the pandemic the reliability is at its worst and the price is extortionate and often the trains are overcrowded and we can’t get a seat.

"Paying for a full price ticket at peak hours I expect to be able to sit down for a one hour journey. I’m standing all day in my job so the last thing I want to do is stand on the train."

Huntingdon Cllr David Landon Cole said he often aims to arrive an hour early at his destinations in case of "problems with the trains".

He said: "Unfortunately, the trains aren't as reliable as they should be. When you have an appointment, a meeting, or a connection, that's a real problem.

"After a string of turning up to work meetings late, huffing and puffing from running, or missing them completely I started aiming to arrive an hour early in case there's a problem with the train.

"There have been three occasions of late where the railway have put me in a taxi from Stevenage. It takes time to get a taxi, and then it's slower getting back to Huntingdon, and that can use up all the extra time and more.

"I feel for the railway staff - they get the sharp end of passengers' complaints, even though they're doing everything they can to help."

Another commuter said they had "lost count" of the amount of times they've been "stranded somewhere", adding that they don't get the train "unless its unavoidable."

Jenny Saunders, customer services director at Govia Thameslink Railway which operates Thameslink and Great Northern services, said: “I’m sorry our services have not been punctual enough at Huntingdon and St Neots.

"This is for a variety of reasons, many of them outside our control, such as people trespassing on the rails, and track and signalling defects, but customers rightly deserve better.  

“We’re working hard in our own teams and with our industry partner Network Rail which maintains the track, signalling and power systems, to turn this around.” 

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Contact: oliver.murphy@newsquest.co.uk 

*Some names have been changed.