Network Rail Promises Fewer Delays for Commuters after next month

12.00.00am GMT Thu 27th Feb 2003

In a letter to MP Vincent Cable, the deputy chief executive of Network Rail has responded to Vincent Cable's strong criticism of his organisation's performance by promising that an upgrading of signalling equipment from Richmond to Reading will be complete by March and will considerably improve reliability.

Network Rail is also taking over a growing amount of maintenance form the main contractor (Balfour Beatty).

Vincent Cable said: "as a daily rail commuter to parliament myself I am conscious of the fact that inbound fast trains to Waterloo are almost routinely late and the continued failures of the railways to provide regular, reliable services with over crowding is the most important single deterrent to switching from car use to public transport."

"I hope we shall also have a more real co-operation between SW Trains and Network Rail instead of endless bickering over who is responsible when things go wrong".