Train company boasts 'delay cuts'

The company runs services in Southern England

One of Britain's busiest rail services claims to have cut delays by 15%.

South West Trains, which re-wrote its timetable from top to bottom in December, said the number of trains on time had risen to 90% from 75%.

The changes provided more time to load passengers in busy stations and for trains to turn at the end of a route.

But the company admitted the changes also meant longer journeys for some commuters and that some smaller stops had been removed from the timetable.

Some passengers believe all the company had done is increase its official journey times so punctuality targets are easier to meet.

BBC transport correspondent Tom Symonds said other companies may now copy the moves.

He said: "Tinkering with timetables is a method train companies are increasingly using to make their services run on time."

South West Trains operates services in southern England and the West country.