Train network damned for frustration and delay

Passenger council reports that system is less efficient than before privatisation and suggests solution is injection of public money

A report on the railways yesterday said much of the system was less efficient than before privatisation and that one-third of passengers felt they received poor value for money.

A report on the railways yesterday said much of the system was less efficient than before privatisation and that one-third of passengers felt they received poor value for money.

After a year in which the industry was rocked by the crash at Ladbroke Grove in which 31 people died and the report on the Southall accident, in which there were seven fatalities, the report said public money was essential to bring about real improvements.

The report, by the Rail Passenger Council, also said that while record numbers of people were travelling by train, for far too many the experience was marred by frustration and delay. Despite that, the number of passenger complaints had fallen.

"Four years after the start of privatisation and after all the time, effort, money and promises, we still have a system performing no better than when the whole process started," the report said. "Indeed, in many areas it is performing worse. It is becoming even clearer that, on top of private money, substantial amounts of public money need to be spent to bring about real improvements and create a truly integrated public transport system with rail at its core."

The Rail Passenger Council, established by Parliament to represent the interests of rail users and to provide an independent voice, said more passengers were travelling by train than at any time since the Second World War. The number increased last year by 6 per cent.

But the report said the system was ill-equipped to offer these passengers an efficient service. It said: "For far too many passengers today, rail travel is an exercise in frustration: delays, old rolling-stock and overcrowding still blight too much of the network."

The report highlighted a number of reasons for such problems, primary among which was the lack of capitalinvestment by Railtrack.

But the report welcomed the decision to install the train protection warning system at the 11,000 most vulnerable locations on the network. It added: "There is clear evidence that Railtrack's lack of investment is a major contributory factor to train delays and critically is now holding back plans to introduce new services."

Another area in which the system was failing to deliver was fares: the report said more than one-third of passengers thought they did not represent value for money.

The report highlighted First Great Western's Plymouth-to- Reading fare, which increased 20 per cent since 1996, and Virgin's standard open return between London and Manchester, which had increased by 50 per cent in the past two years.

On delays, the report said long-distance operators were the least reliable, highlighting Virgin's West Coast line and Virgin's Cross Country service as the worst.

Last night a spokesman for Virgin Trains said the company was replacing all its trains. "We are aware of the problems and that is why we are investing more than anyone else in new trains," he said. "We aim to be the best in the future."

A Railtrack spokesman said: "The network is getting unprecedented investment from Railtrack at the moment. Last year we invested £2bn and this year we are investing £2.5bn. To criticise us for lack of investment is bewildering."