Network Rail pledge on travel chaos

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NR chief executive Iain Coucher said the not-for-dividend company had "let passengers down" with the overruns on the West Coast Main Line in the Midlands and at Liverpool Street station in London.

NR said both projects had been deliverable but poor productivity and poor manpower supervision had led to delays.

The West Coast work should have been completed on December 30 but took an extra four days. Thousands of passengers returning to work after the Christmas break had to take bus services between Birmingham and Northampton as the line remained closed.

Work at Liverpool Street, which hit the services run by the One train company, overran by a day.

NR does not have shareholders but has more than 100 members, who comprise those connected with the rail industry.

Speaking to the members, Mr Coucher said: "We invested almost £125 million in the railway during the Christmas holidays aimed at improving train services. Over 1,000 pieces of work were undertaken and all but three went well. That is three too many in our book.

"We let passengers and freight users down and I'm determined that it won't happen again. That is why we will be taking these far-reaching and decisive measures in the weeks and months ahead."

The key points of the action include NR increasing its in-house capability in specialist engineering disciplines, contractors reducing their reliance on agency staff, and the establishment of military-style command posts for all major works, delivering clearer lines of authority.