Understanding train delays
Official thresholds, announced delays and what our figures mean
A "late" train does not have the same definition everywhere. Official punctuality indicators use thresholds. Station screens and apps give a forecast delay, minute by minute. And the right to compensation follows yet other rules.
Punctuality thresholds
A train is counted as late at arrival beyond:
- 5 minutes if the trip lasts under 1 h 30
- 10 minutes if the trip lasts over 1 h 30
- 15 minutes if the trip lasts over 3 h
These thresholds are taken from a written question to the French Senate published on 12 October 2023. Punctuality figures are published by the Autorité de la qualité de service dans les transports (AQST).
Announced delay, actual delay
Open data gives a reported delay: the operator's estimate at the time of recording. It can rise or fall afterwards. A 3-minute delay at departure can become 15 minutes at arrival, or be made up.
That is why the pages of this site always say "reported" or "recorded", never "confirmed".
Delay and compensation: two different rules
A train can be "on time" for statistics and still open a right, or the reverse. Compensation rules are explained in our guides on the SNCF G30 and on European rights when a train is late.
Where to see delays
- the network statistics, day by day
- punctuality by train category
- each station page, with its recorded passings
From how many minutes is a train late?
For punctuality indicators it depends on the trip length: 5 minutes for a trip under 1 h 30, 10 minutes over 1 h 30, 15 minutes over 3 h. Thresholds quoted in a written question to the French Senate on 12 October 2023.
Why does a train announced on time arrive late?
A reported delay is a forecast at a given moment. It changes during the journey. Only the operator knows the actual arrival time.
How does this site count cancelled trains?
Separately. A cancelled train is never counted as a zero-minute delay in our figures.
How does this site calculate a station's average delay?
From the passings recorded in open data, once per train. Scheduled times and cancelled trains do not count as a measurement. See the Methodology page.