£1bn rail delays are unacceptable - Burstow

8.45.00am GMT Tue 18th Nov 2008

Paul Burstow, MP for Sutton and Cheam, expressed frustration today when it was revealed that rail delays cost passengers £1 billion in lost time last year.

The Public Accounts Committee, of which Paul Burstow is a member, released a report today examining how rail incidents are managed by the Department for Transport and Network Rail.

The report described a rail system which is overcrowded and congested despite having received £5.1 bn from the Department for Transport in 2006-07 and the same amount having been paid by passengers for their tickets.

It also exposed significant problems with communication which often worsen the delays and anger passengers who feel they are not informed of what is going on.

After reading the report, Paul Burstow commented:

"Network Rail and the Department for Transport need to do some soul-searching in the light of this report. Rail delays are costing passengers a huge amount every year, and that figure says nothing of the inconvenience and stress which late running trains cause.

"I know in my constituency incidents on the Dorking to Victoria line can leave people with no easy way to work and when they happen the flow of information can be slow.

"It is also deeply worrying that Network Rail are operating with such poor communication systems in place. Often fire and rescue services do not know whom to contact in an emergency - this needs to be rectified quickly before more lives are put at risk."

Notes to Editors:

This is the 53rd Report from the Public Accounts Committee