OUR BACKGROUND
Founded over forty five years ago, RPS is a leading authority on train and railway performance. Our 200 or so members regularly record and analyse the performance of steam diesel and electric traction throughout the UK, Europe and further afield.
We issue our quarterly society magazine – Milepost – to our members as well as making available other quality reference material on lineside distances and gradients.
We act as independent custodians of ‘Fastest Times’ obtained by scheduled rail services between hundreds of pairs of stations across the UK, Europe and to a small extent beyond.
RPS members have acted as official timers for railway companies during high-speed record attempts, press and stakeholders trains including the 2025 successful World Distance Record for a battery powered train achieved by Great Western Railway on 20/8/25 with unit 230001.
RPS members, frequently using material from the RPS’ Archives, contribute railway performance articles and commentary to various UK based publications including the Railway Magazine, Modern Locomotives Illustrated, Heritage Railways, Rail Express and Modern Railways.
GET INVOLVED
Whether you have just a passing interest in train performance or a real passion to understand every aspect of train and railway performance, the Society has something for you. The Society can offer insightful and meaningful commentary on the current UK railway scene and beyond.
If you have an established interest in train performance analysis, train timing (sometimes called train recording), want to dive beneath the bonnet of online data provided by Realtime Trains, Raildar etc., the RPS is the place for you. Furthermore, if this is something that you are seeking to become interested in but with little or no past experience, you are more than welcome within the RPS and we will provide you with access to our comprehensive material and the assistance to help you move in the desired direction.
Independent from any rail organisation, we provide balanced and unbiased views on the performance and reliability of the UK and some European railway systems.
RPS ENGAGEMENT
The Railway Performance Society is a small specialist body able to provide independent authentication and commentary on most matters relating to train performance.
The Society is always interested in the authentication and participation in any attempts to achieve a new fastest time record.
