Rail services in the North are four times slower than South’s

TrAINS connecting Britain’s major towns and cities are up to four times slower outside the South East, according to research.

An analysis of the fastest services on 19 routes found those from London travel at average speeds of 65-93mph, compared with speeds of just 20-60mph elsewhere.

The slowest was Liverpool Central to Chester, which takes 41 minutes to make a 15-mile (as the crow flies) journey, travelling at 20mph.

By contrast, passengers travelling from London Paddington to reading journey 35 miles in just 34 minutes at a speed of 93mph.

This is because the London service does not stop, while the fastest service from Liverpool to Chester stops 14 times. Other routes highlighted include Cardiff Central to Bristol Temple Meads (30mph) and Edinburgh to Perth (25mph).

While those travelling from the capital can typically travel on faster direct trains, links between many other cities are only served by stopping services.

The research, which looked at trains scheduled for Fridays, found a number of the slowest routes are only served by trains with multiple stops.

Luke raikes, of think- tank IPPr North, said slower journeys were ‘down to decades of under-investment’ and successive governments’ focus on congestion in London. The think-tank claims £1,943 is spent per person in London on transport projects compared with just £427 in the North.

Steve rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City region, said the figures highlighted the ‘ investment deficit that is seriously undermining growth potential in the North’.

Meanwhile, political and business officials gathered at a transport summit in Leeds on Wednesday.

Speaking at the event, Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: ‘The patience of people in the North of England has run out.’

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling sparked anger last month by supporting a new £30billion transport scheme in London and the South East, days after a series of rail electrification projects in Wales, the Midlands and the North were axed or downgraded.

Lianna Etkind of the Campaign for Better Transport called on the Government to ‘rebalance transport investment’ by reversing the decision to cancel the projects.