Train companies given a month to improve

Rail Regulator Closer to Fining Operators

The new system of ten regional phone inquiry centres replaced about forty local centres. The idea was that it would be able to handle 60 million calls a year, or 4.5 million a month.

But barely half of all calls were answered in April, and since then, despite the hiring of additional operators, the number of missed calls is unacceptably high.

BBC correspondent Caroline Beck investigates Dur.3'32

Rail regulator John Swift "won't wait for ever"

Swift tells BBC Radio's Today programme: It's time for action Dur.5'22

The time period for fines will begin on Sunday. Any fines will be levied in a month's time. For every percentage point below the 90 per cent target there's a sliding scale. If the calls remain stuck at 82 per cent it'll cost the companies over £500,000 a week.

"The inquiry service has virtually collapsed in many parts of the country because the private rail companies tried to run it on the cheap, dismissing experienced staff and bringing in cheap, part-time inexperienced workers."

Ivor Warburton, of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said the inquiry service performance had improved significantly.

"We are just a bit surprised and really disappointed that Mr Swift has gone ahead with issuing the order," said Mr Warburton.

"We inherited an old system that was certainly not structured to give the sort of service we that we are now doing."

Some 300 new staff had been recruited, trained and put on line in the last two-and-a-half months and another 300 would come in the next six weeks.

Mr Warburton added that he was confident the service could hit its target. "There won't be any fine. We have enormous confidence," he said.