asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether in future train operating franchises the penalty regime for late arrivals will apply to intermediate stations, particularly those with advertised connections, and not only to the final destination.[HL6600]

Winners of new rail franchises are required to commit to improving train performance by reducing their own train delays, wherever they might arise. The performance of franchised train operators will be judged on how they reduce delays throughout the journey, not just at their destination, in order to improve punctuality for the greatest number of passengers.