Woking and Guildford – Surrey’s Worst Two Train Stations for Reliability and Punctuality

Published on: 12 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 13 Mar, 2025

Guildford Station

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

Surrey’s “worst” train stations for delays and cancellations have been revealed.

Passengers, fed up waiting for trains that seemingly never arrive, will soon be able to have their suspicions on reliability confirmed or denied by new screens going live on stations across the county and beyond.

The data is broken down by rail operator and stations  – and shows the percentage of cancelled trains as well as figures on punctuality.

The government says live data will be displayed at major stations through digital screens as well as online.

Woking Railway Station

Topping the list for the worst punctuality are the South Western Railway trains from Woking with just 72.2 per cent of non-cancelled trains arriving ‘on time’, which is classed as running either on time or less than three minutes late.

Slightly better is Guildford with 74.2 per cent of working trains arriving within three minutes of their scheduled times.

Horley, Gomshall, Haslemere, Reigate, Dorking (Deepdene), Byfleet and New Haw, Earlswood, and Redhill round off the bottom 10.

Residents in the north of the county along the same stretch of track share in their misery with  Sunbury, Kempton Park Racecourse, and Upper Halliford taking up the next spots on the list.

In a double blow – a few of the stations that rank worst for the trains that actually do run are also among the 10 worst for cancellations.

Topping the list is Earlswood at 11.7 per cent of services cancelled –  meaning more than one in every 10 scheduled trains just never shows up. Joining it as the second worst is Salfords, with Horley third at  8.4 per cent.

The same trio of north Surrey stations that suffer from late running take up the next lowest rankings for cancellations: Kempton Park Racecourse 7.4 per cent, Sunbury 7.3 per cent and Upper Halliford 7.3 per cent.

Chilworth, Redhill, Shepperton, and Gomshall complete the set.

Natasha Grice, Director at the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: “Passengers tell us they want a reliable, on-time train service and will welcome improvements to information about the punctuality of their service and cancellations being shared more transparently. It’s important that the industry uses this information to drive up performance.”

Will Forster MP

Woking MP Will Forster has created a new cross-party group with the aim of  holding South Western Railway accountable. He said the focus would be on fixing unreliable and expensive trains for frustrated rail users in Woking and beyond.

He added: “ I’m disappointed but sadly not surprised Woking suffers from more delays than any other station in Surrey.

“My constituents in Woking, and passengers right across the South Western Railway network, deserve a fair deal as they travel by train. We should expect cheaper and more reliable services.”

Zöe Franklin MP

Zöe Franklin, MP for Guildford, said: “Guildford is the second-worst station in Surrey for punctuality, and as a regular commuter myself, this comes as no surprise. I can personally attest to the endless delays residents across Guildford are forced to endure.

“I am horrified by the poor service, and these statistics are a damning indictment of the state of our railways. They also highlight the urgent need for change.

“Passengers must become the priority, which is why I am calling for a freeze on rail fares. My constituents deserve better than suffering continual price rises while the system remains broken. We urgently need cheaper, more reliable train services. The Government must act now to fix this failing network and put passengers first.”

Train leaving Guildford, but is it on time? David Rose

Ten worst Surrey stations and services by punctuality

Woking – 72.2 per cent of trains that have not been cancelled and are running on time or less than three minutes late.

• Guildford –  74.2 per cent
• Horley – 74.8 per cent
• Gomshall – 4.8 per cent
• Haslemere – 75.2 per cent
• Reigate – 75.6 per cent
• Dorking (Deepdene) – 76.4 per cent
• Byfleet and New Haw, – 76.6 per cent
• Earlswood (Surrey) – 76.7 per cent
• Redhill –  77 per cent

Ten worst stations and services for cancellations

• Earlswood 11.7 per cent of services cancelled
• Salfords 11.7 per cent
• Horley 8.4 per cent
• Kempton Park Racecourse 7.4 per cent
• Sunbury 7.3 per cent
• Upper Halliford 7.3 per cent
• Chilworth 6.8 per cent
• Redhill 6.6 per cent
• Shepperton 6.6 per cent
• Gomshall 6.5 per cent

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