Trains in the UK are operated by private companies approved by the government and awarded a franchise for which they must meet certain standards, for example on punctuality. SuperRail, which operates the trains in one part of the country, has a poor record to date and has been warned that if it again exceeds the annual limits set by the government for late departures or arrivals, it will receive a heavy fine and will lose its franchise. At the end of the third quarter, however, SuperRail's performance was within the defined limits. So if the operator can maintain their performance in the final quarter, they will keep the franchise for another year.