Michael Dugher MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, commenting on the ORR report into the Christmas period rail chaos, said:

“Over 100,000 passengers were affected by the rail chaos over the Christmas period. We now know that David Cameron’s Government was warned and failed to act. Whilst it is clear that Network Rail needs to learn lessons, out of touch Ministers must learn from their failure too. 

“It is also increasingly evident that there needs to be big reforms to the running of our railway so that we have a rail service that is fit for purpose.

“The ORR is right to say that the rail industry must place passengers at the heart of enhanced contingency planning. Labour has argued consistently that that passengers must be given a proper voice in the running of the railway, so that they are at the centre of the way in which the industry is run.”