Rail delays soar under New Labour, Lib Dem figures show

28.2.05

Delays on South West Trains services are nearly three times as common since Labour came to power, new analysis by the Liberal Democrats shows.

Liberal Democrat MP for Kingston & Surbiton, Edward Davey, commented:

"These figures will come as no surprise to long-suffering local rail passengers.

"Conservative privatisation left the railways in a mess, but Labour hasn’t solved the problems. In fact they've got worse.

"When Labour came to power in 1997 10% of South West Trains services arrived late. Now it is an astonishing 27.7% - more than a quarter of all services! Recent improvements are largely down to moving the goalposts, with longer journey times put in the timetable.

"Across Britain, rail passengers have lost more than 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. Every major network in the country has declined under Labour.

"Liberal Democrats would get the railways working again. We will streamline the system, with fewer, larger franchises given longer contracts in return for more investment and better services."