Train passengers irked by delays will now be able to see more detailed figures about their service under changes aimed at making the UK rail industry the most transparent in Europe.

The Rail Delivery Group, which brings together train companies and Network Rail, said train companies would now publish the proportion of trains arriving early, within a minute of their scheduled time, and within three minutes.

The present requirement means short- and long-distance trains are considered ‘on time’ if they are five or 10 minutes late, respectively. The new data means customers will be able to see more detail on how train companies are performing.

Alex Hayman, Which? managing director of public markets, said this could be a "positive first step for passengers but only if it results in rail companies making making more trains run on time".

He added that recent analysis by the group had shown passenger satisfaction with the punctuality of trains was at a decade low. This new data, which is expected to be published on train company websites from April 2018, would put more pressure on firms to make more services run on time, he said. 

Roughly 80pc of stations have the technology to allow train punctuality to be measured by the minute and the Rail Delivery Group said it was seeking to improve this.

The changes will make train delay data far better than the airline industry, where the measure for a plane's punctuality is measured within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time.

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According to analysis by Which?, 74pc of inbound flights to UK airports arrive within 15 minutes, whereas in the last year 98.4pc of trains arrived in the same timeframe.

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “By adopting the most transparent measure in Europe, we want passengers to know that rail companies are putting an even greater focus on ensuring that trains are meeting the timetable, arriving to the minute and at stations along a journey.”

Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, helped develop the new punctuality reporting system.

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“Passengers want a reliable, on-time train service,” he said. “How that performance is measured and reported should, our research shows, closely mirror passengers’ real-life experience otherwise trust will not be built up.

“So it is good to see the rail industry reporting on-time performance at many more stations.”