Cautious welcome for Railtrack plans

The details will allow better scheduling

Train operators have expressed cautious optimism after examining Railtrack's new detailed plans for the post-Hatfield rail recovery programme.

Railtrack met the deadline set by rail regulator Tom Winsor for more information to help rail companies make more reliable timetables.

After examining Railtrack's scheme for the replacement of cracked rails and removal of speed restrictions, which is due to be completed by Easter, the infrastructure company won some praise.

It is clear that the government don't know what 'normal' is - Mr Prescott thinks that a normal rail service is one where one train in 10 is late

Bernard Jenkin
Conservative transport spokesman

It is believed that the train companies will study the thousands of pages of information from Railtrack and formulate new timetables by the end of the month.

Virgin, which operates the West Coast and Cross Country franchises, said Railtrack's plans "looked well laid out and deliverable".

The company said the new information would allow managers schedule services with more "confidence" and shorten journey times.

Gradual improvement

First Great Western said it expected a gradual, improvement but expressed concern about an increase in speed restrictions in south west England.

GNER, the worst hit of the train operators after the Hatfield crash in mid-October, said it did not envisage any reduction of services.

Mr Winsor had threatened to fine Railtrack if detailed plans were not submitted to him by the Thursday deadline.

"We have given comprehensive details to the train companies on exactly what engineering work will be carried out so they can plan ahead," said a Railtrack spokesman.

Definition of 'normal'

Normal service has still to resume on routes operated by East Coast main line company GNER, Virgin West Coast, Silverlink, West Anglia Great Northern and Great Western.

But Conservative transport spokesman Bernard Jenkin criticised the definition of "normal" used by the government.

He said: "The announcement promises that things will be back to normal by Easter. But it is clear that the government don't know what `normal' is.

"On Tuesday, in the House of Commons, (Deputy Prime Minister) John Prescott claimed that `normal' was 90% punctuality and reliability.

"Mr Prescott thinks that a normal rail service is one where one train in 10 is late."