Wales and Scotland have found themselves at the center of a heated debate about rail services, government investment, and media representation, following the release of new data on train cancellations across the United Kingdom. The figures, published by the Office for Rail and Road and highlighted by the BBC, have not only stoked political demands for greater local control over transport infrastructure but also triggered a media controversy that’s left some officials fuming.
According to the BBC, Wales recorded the highest percentage of train cancellations among the UK nations between August 18, 2024, and August 16, 2025. Wales’ cancellation rate stood at 3.9%, outpacing England’s 3.5% and Scotland’s notably lower 2%. Digging deeper, six of Wales’ ten busiest railway stations posted cancellation rates higher than the UK average during this period, while in Scotland, none of its ten busiest stations exceeded that benchmark.
The numbers have reignited long-standing grievances in Wales over what many see as chronic underinvestment by successive UK governments. Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, has been particularly vocal. On September 23, 2025, Peredur Owen Griffiths, Plaid Cymru’s transport spokesperson, didn’t mince words: “These statistics will come as a disappointment, but not as a surprise to the thousands of people in Wales that rely on our trains here in Wales. Too many of them have stories of cancelled trains and days ruined.” He went further, laying blame squarely at Westminster’s door, saying, “The UK Government should hang their heads in shame about the dire state of Welsh railways. The connection between the billions of pounds of historic underinvestment, of the lack of electrified railways, and the sky-high cancellation rate is as clear as day.”
Plaid Cymru’s frustration is not new. For years, the party has argued that both Labour and Conservative governments have failed to deliver for Wales, a sentiment encapsulated by Owen Griffiths’ claim that “both Tory and Labour Governments have kept this scandal going, proving that all the Westminster parties don’t care about Wales.” The party’s manifesto is clear: they want the devolution of rail infrastructure powers to Wales, just as has already happened in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their plans are ambitious, envisioning the use of an additional £4 billion—money they argue is owed to Wales from the HS2 high-speed rail project—to “revolutionise our railway and transport systems.” This would include reconnecting north and south Wales, reopening lines closed under the Beeching cuts, electrifying the North Wales Main Line, and improving services west of Swansea. The proposal even extends to bringing trams or light rail to areas currently without rail connections, such as the south Wales Valleys.
“With that £4,000,000,000 additional funding, we could revolutionise our railway and transport systems, including properly connecting north and south Wales for the first time within Wales, reopening major railway lines closed under Beeching, electrifying the North Wales Main Line, improving existing railway services, and increasing and improving services west of Swansea,” states the Plaid Cymru manifesto. The party argues that only 1% of UK Government capital spend is on railways in Wales, a figure they say reflects both current and historical underspend. For context, while London and major cities in Scotland were connected by electrified rail more than fifty years ago, Wales only gained its first mile of electrified track in the past decade.
But while Wales grapples with poor performance and calls for greater autonomy, Scotland is experiencing a very different reality—albeit not without its own controversies. On the same day that Welsh politicians were lambasting Westminster, Scotland’s Culture Secretary, Angus Robertson, was taking aim at the BBC. His complaint? The broadcaster had used a photo of Edinburgh Waverley station to illustrate a story about the UK’s worst-performing train stations, despite the fact that no Scottish station was above the UK average for cancellations. Robertson was incensed, writing on social media, “Scotland has the lowest percentages of train cancellations in GB and Edinburgh has amongst the lowest percentages of any major city. How on earth can @BBCNews be presenting these FACTS online with the image below? It’s totally misleading, false and must be corrected immediately.”
Other social media users echoed Robertson’s frustration, with one user commenting, “The pic in the headline suggests Ed[inburgh] Waverley is the worst station in Britain. NOT ONE Scottish station is above the British average.” The BBC eventually changed the image to one of City Thameslink in London, which, according to their own figures, had the highest cancellation rate in the UK at about 7.7%—a move seen by many as an overdue correction.
The data tells a compelling story for Scotland. With an overall cancellation rate of 2%, Scotland’s railways are performing significantly better than those in England and Wales. The worst Scottish station for cancellations was Glasgow’s Exhibition Centre at 2.8%, while the tenth worst, Paisley, saw just 0.7%. Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket both recorded cancellation rates of 2%. Notably, ScotRail services have been under public ownership since April 2022, following nationalisation by the SNP Government. Earlier this month, the government also abolished peak fares, a move hailed by some as a “historic moment.”
For many in Scotland, these changes are evidence of the benefits that can come from devolving transport powers. The SNP government has argued that nationalisation and fare reforms are steps toward a more equitable and reliable rail system. Their approach stands in contrast to the situation in Wales, where calls for devolution have so far gone unheeded by Westminster.
Meanwhile, the broader debate about the future of UK railways continues to simmer. Plaid Cymru’s demands for devolution are rooted in a belief that only local control can address the unique challenges facing Welsh transport. Their vision includes reconnecting communities, modernising infrastructure, and bringing long-neglected areas into the fold. In Scotland, the focus is increasingly on ensuring that the public sees the benefits of nationalised services and that media coverage accurately reflects the country’s achievements.
As the dust settles on the latest round of statistics and social media skirmishes, one thing is clear: the question of who controls the rails—and how those rails are funded and reported on—remains a live issue in both Wales and Scotland. While their experiences diverge, both nations are pushing for a future where local voices have a greater say in keeping the trains running on time.
