Railway reality

This is even more acute in those parts of Yorkshire where commuters are already paying a surcharge on some lines to fund extra rolling stock, the availability of which has simply not kept up with public demand or various Ministerial promises over the years.

The challenge now is for additional carriages to be provided as quickly as possible. If only it was as simple as it sounds. As well as the perennial question of finance, new trains take many months to question – and then there is the question of upgrading the wider rail infrastructure so extra services, or longer trains, can run safely.

There is certainly merit behind the Government's suggestion that train operators could be awarded longer franchises in return for agreeing to abide by stringent financial penalties if they do not meet performance criteria on overcrowding. The uncertainty of the franchise system is one reason why some firms have not sufficiently invested in new carriages since rail privatisation.

Yet, given the difficulties that Ministers will face in measuring overcrowding, particularly if services are disrupted for reasons outside the control of rail operators, it will be far more advantageous if specific plans to provide new trains become an integral part of all new franchise agreements. If those contractual commitments are not honoured, then the Department for Transport should not hesitate to impose appropriate penalties.