Fewer trains ran on time in the first year of the O’Farrell government than for the three previous years under Labor. Source: AAP

While in Opposition, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian was obsessed with the concept of “on-time running” and even backed changing the the criteria for deciding whether a train was on time from within five minutes to within a minute.

But last week Ms Berejiklian changed her tune, saying she wanted the government to focus on more than on-time running and appears to have abandoned changing the criteria.

Trains recorded the worst peak hour figures for four years. Six of the 16 lines operated below the 92 per cent acceptable level for train arrivals, with the worst the crowded Western Line, East Hills (Campbelltown) line and the Southern Highlands line.

Overall, the result for 2011-12 was 93.4 per cent, compared to 94.6 per cent the year before and 95.9 per cent in 2009-10. It was the worst result since 2007-08, when trains ran at 92.7 per cent.

In the first four months of this year the figure is 94.5 per cent. On the Western Line, the 2011-12 figure was 90.6 per cent, down from 92.4 per cent in 2010-11 and 93.8 per cent in 2009-10.

On the Northern Line via Strathfield, it was 91.6 per cent in 2011-12 (down from 93.9 and 95.3) and the Inner West was 94.3 per cent, compared to 95.3 and 96.4. On the East Hills line, it was 90.8 in 2011-12, 92.4 per cent in 2010-11 and 94.6 per cent in 2009-10.

But by far the worst was the Southern Highlands line which had on-time running of just 82.6 per cent compared to 90.8 per cent last year.

Ms Berejiklian is facing another battle, with the minister to take to cabinet for a third time a plan to have light rail run down George St.

She has been rejected twice by Premier Barry O’Farrell and Treasurer Mike Baird for failing to show how she would pay for the $2 billion project.

One senior minister said Ms Berejiklian should go away and work out a solution with Nick Greiner’s Infrastructure NSW, which wants light rail to run from Central to Randwick instead of through George St, rather than press ahead in such a “gung-ho” fashion.

The minister has told cabinet she can fund the project through the transport budget.

Ms Berejiklian defended the government’s on-time running. “In addition to on-time trains, customers want faster travel, a better experience and more timely information.”