Michael Dugher MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to Government’s announcement on Network Rail projects, said:

“The Government’s failure to deliver a fit-for-purpose railway for passengers and the Tories’ broken election promises have been completely exposed.

“The publication of the latest Transport Focus Passenger Survey shows that passenger satisfaction has fallen once again. And now the Government has announced that vital investment projects, like the electrification of the Midland Main Line, that it promised to deliver, are being shelved due to the repeated failure to get a grip of Network Rail.

“Since 2010, passengers have had to endure a catalogue of failures on our railways. Ministers may try to shift all the blame to Network Rail, but this has happened on the Government’s watch and the responsibility for this mess lies squarely with the Government.

“Labour has warned time and time again that there needs to be fundamental change in how our railways are run. But the Transport Secretary has dithered and delayed when he had the power to exert more Ministerial responsibility over Network Rail, including to appoint a new Special Director to the board, since September last year. We will look carefully at the specific announcements made by the Government today about Network Rail governance, but it all feels like too little too late.”