IT’S PLANE STUPID

Rail bosses pay £3m for flights

TRAIN chiefs forked out £3million on flights because it is quicker and cheaper than going by rail.

Government-backed Network Rail was forced to admit it has spent £600,000 a year on flights in the past five years.

The money was spent on sending staff on training courses and to meetings.

One return flight from Birmingham to Glasgow cost £414.

Figures released after a Freedom of Information request also showed a one-way flight from Glasgow to London cost £366 and a trip from East Midlands Airport to Glasgow was £245.

Labour MP Graham Stringer, below, a member of the Commons transport committee, said more needed to be done to transform rail services.

He said: “Network Rail needs to work on improving their own efficiency if planes are cheaper and quicker than trains.

“Rail passengers would expect Network Rail employees to use their own product. They might then understand how poor services often are.”

Network Rail said 98% of its business journeys were taken by rail and it was “mindful” that what it spends is public money.

Rail travellers paying a first class fare from Glasgow Central to London Euston on a Friday to travel on a Saturday face having to find £164.

But they would spend six hours on their journey compared to about 75 minutes by air.

The Star Says: Page 6