Network Rail criticised by regulators over chaos during Welsh winter storms

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'More could have been done': Network Rail criticised by regulators over trains chaos during Welsh winter storms

Rail infrastructure body heavily criticised for its performance in the last year in the Office of Rail Regulation^s annual report

Network Rail should have coped better with the extreme weather that brought delays and cancellation to the rail network in Wales last year, rail regulators said.

The rail infrastructure body was heavily criticised for its performance in the last year in the Office of Rail Regulation^s annual report.

The report said Network Rail ^failed to deliver^ on major commuter and long-distance route punctuality, with many thousands more late trains than there should have been.

^While the impact of extreme weather on First Great Western^s long distance services was genuinely severe, there was a feeling that more could have been done.^ they said.

The Office of Rail Regulation^s analysis showed that Network Rail was responsible for 347,500 minutes, or some 241 days, of delays on the First Great Western network which includes the mainline train services from South Wales to London.

It meant that Network Rail was responsible for 16% of the delays on First Great Western trains. As a result, Network Rail is having to return ^53.1m to the Treasury in what is effectively a fine.

Regulators were, however, pleased with parts of the firm^s performance. It said the company had delivered a major rail enhancement programme largely on time and budget, bringing real benefits to passengers. Across 118 projects, 98 were delivered early or on time.

ORR^» chief executive Richard Price said that Network Rail^s success in modernising the railways did not excuse its failure to improve train punctuality over the last five year period, which it was funded to do

He said: ^Network Rail fell significantly short of punctuality for long-distance services, so it is right that money is returned to funders (the Treasury).^

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne said: ^We accept that we have fallen short of the regulatory targets for train punctuality and that this is, in part, down to our failure to reduce infrastructure faults quickly enough. At the same time, the sharp increase in passenger demand has led us to run more trains at peak times, even when we know this will lead to a more congested railway and punctuality targets may suffer.

^Passengers do want trains to run on time, but for many people, particularly commuters at the busiest times of the day, increased services with less crowding is a key priority. This trade-off between congestion and punctuality is a daily issue on many routes.^

Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, said: ^Our research confirms what many passengers had already experienced - rail performance remains too patchy.

Manuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA^» rail union, said: ^This is yet another example of the crazy money merry-go-round that is at the heart of our fragmented rail industry. All the politicians are doing is taking taxpayers^ money from Network Rail and re-cycling it to the Treasury. Once again, passengers lose out while privatised rail firms laugh all the way to the bank.^

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: ^We are investing record amounts to improve our railways and Network Rail is playing a vital role in delivering that. However, it^s only right that when standards slip they are held accountable.^