Monday 28 February 2005 1:07 am
The Liberal Democrats have published figures that show how delays on the railways have more than doubled under Labour, with almost one in five services arriving late. A comparison of the train company figures for the 12 month period before Labour came to power (April 1996 - March 1997), with the most recent available (October 2003 - September 2004) reveals how the number of delayed trains have risen on all but two of the nation's franchised routes. GNER, which serves Kings Cross, is one of the worst performers, with 25.9% (at least 1 in 4) trains delayed.

Astonishingly the figures reveal that rail passengers have effectively lost at least 10,000 years of their lives on delayed trains since Labour came to office. Delays to passengers alone have cost the nation's economy dear, with a figure of around £1 Billion over the seven years.

Last year, I carried out a rail survey which showed local commuters are fed up with unreliable, overcrowded and
dirty trains. They want clean, reliable and safe rail services, offering value for money. Now we find that 1 in 4 GNER trains is delayed, causing disruption to individuals and businesses alike. That's a terrible verdict on the millions of
pounds given by this Labour government to private rail operators.

After 7 years in office, Labour's promised rail improvements are like many of our train services - well overdue!