PASSENGERS using GNER trains are now twice as likely to suffer delays than when the Labour Government came to power five years ago, it was claimed today.

New figures released by the Liberal Democrats show 30.9 per cent of trains suffered delays of ten minutes or more in the four weeks to November 9.

During the same four weeks in 1997 delays on services operated by the York-based firm were 14.6 per cent.

The Lib Dems said this was an increase of 110 per cent, which meant passengers were 2.1 times more likely to be left waiting on platforms.

Transport spokesman Don Foster said problems with track and signals were responsible for the majority of problems.

He blamed the failure of first Railtrack and then the Government - which forced the company into receivership last year and replaced it with a new body named Network Rail.

Mr Foster also attacked the level of investment going into rail network improvement projects.

He claims Ministers have instead caved into the roads lobby and are diverting funds to road improvements instead.

Mr Foster said: "Despite Labour's promises, our railways are in a worse mess now than when they came to power.

"Delays have more than doubled and cancellations are up by more than half.

"Most of these delays are caused by Railtrack or or Network Rail rather than the train operating companies themselves.

"The Government appears to have given up on the railways. British railway passengers' misery is increasing daily as our railway system gets worse and worse under Labour."

But York Labour MP Hugh Bayley said the Lib Dems had failed to recognise that GNER was running more services on the East Coast Main Line.

He said: "GNER has hugely improved the quality of its service since Labour came to power, and it now runs many more trains.

"There have been serious problems with track investment since the Selby rail crash, but the Government has responded by trebling the rate of investment in the railways.

"That is what will prevent us from suffering from problems in the future."

Nationally delays stand at 29.2 per cent, 2.2 times more than in 1997.

Updated: 16:20 Thursday, December 12, 2002