UK’S ageing rolling stock

Britain’s trains are the oldest since current records began, an investigation has found.

Passengers are travelling in carriages typically built in the mid-1990s, Office of Rail and Road (ORR) statistics show.

Analysis found the average age of 21.1 years is older than at any point in publicly-available records and 60% older than in 2006.

The ORR has previously said older trains can result in worse reliability, less comfortable journeys and poorer performance.

Travellers using the Caledonian Sleeper service between London and Scotland have to put up with a 42-year-old train, the oldest in the UK.

Merseyrail, which runs trains in Merseyside, has the second-oldest fleet at 38.

Campaign for Better Transport chief executive Stephen Joseph said: “We’ve been promised new trains by several train operators and some are under construction – we now want to see these promises turn into reality.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train operators, says more than 5,500 new carriages will be in use across Britain by the end of 2020.

Chief executive Paul Plummer said: “This will help to deliver our commitment to boost customer satisfaction so that Britain continues to have the most highlyrated major railway in Europe.”