Rough ride for rail hell

WHEN the Commons returns on Monday Chris Grayling can expect an angry reception from MPs on behalf of constituents.

Rail passengers across the country are fuming at the shoddy service they have suffered in the past few weeks.

New timetables have seen 12,000 journeys disrupted. Northern Rail alone is cancelling 165 trains a day until the end of July.

Passengers are paying the highest fares in Europe for the worst service, while taxpayers are subsidising the railways to the tune of £4billion a year – much of which goes to shareholders and foreign-owned firms.

Train operating companies and Network Rail must take some responsibility for the current shambles but, ultimately, it rests with Mr Grayling. He can now claim to have been the worst Justice Secretary and the worst Transport Secretary ever to have held office.

Only in one regard has he done us a favour. On his watch he has proved conclusively that rail privatisation has been an utter failure.