Tom Richmond: It's time we made rail firms pay the penalty

At least she had a first class compartment to herself. The same cannot be said for those poor souls on Northern Rail – just one of the many train operators who appear oblivious to the importance of communication.

Three recent experiences, recounted by friends and colleagues, demonstrate this.

First, an acquaintance was actually sat on a Wharfedale Line service for 15 minutes the other week before being ordered off – because the train had been cancelled.

Second, the angst caused by scheduled trains which arrive on time and are forced to wait ages for a platform to become free at Leeds Station. Why is this so? Surely the service is expected? Why are conductors seemingly incapable of offering any information about the length of the hold-up? Have they lost the power of speech?

And, third, why wait until five minutes after an Ilkley-bound train was due to arrive at Shipley before announcing that it would be delayed by 25 minutes? Until that point, the passenger information board simply said the service was "on time".

These mishaps might be incidental when compared to the chaos that afflicted Eurostar's snow-hit services prior to Christmas. But the point is the same. There will, occasionally, be delays on the railways. That is to be expected. What is inexcusable, however, is the conduct of those train operators who prefer to keep passengers in the dark. This has to change, as I have said previously in this slot. It's why the Government must sign up – without delay – to the new EU laws that would compel train firms to pay compensation that is comparable with the level of inconvenience their inertia causes. It's the only way forward.

IN the past, I was fortunate to come across David Taylor – the Labour backbencher who collapsed and died from a heart attack on Boxing Day while walking with his family.

We rarely agreed – but I admired his independence of thought. If he thought the Government was erring, he was not afraid to say so. The chances are that his successor – whether they be Labour or Tory – will not be so independent. They will be a party loyalist.

That is regrettable.

As Taylor's close friend, the Rotherham MP Denis MacShane, said so eloquently: "David was a star of the backbenches with a sardonic wit that livened up debates and question times.

"He was formidably intelligent even if his bluff style hid one of the keenest socialist brains in the Commons. He will be sorely missed as the Commons turns into a collection of clones."

IF Labour defies political gravity and wins the next election, it will have to scrap many of its spending commitments.

One project dependent upon public funding is Midland Main Line's much-needed electrification between Sheffield and London.

Yet, if there are delays, travellers should remember the words uttered in the House of Commons the other week when the issue was raised by Sheffield MP Meg Munn. "I give my strong support to the proposal... it is important that we invest in our economic infrastructure – transport is an important part of that – as we have done consistently over the past 10 years." For the record, the author of these words? Harriet Harman – Gordon Brown's number two.

THE Houses of Parliament adjourned for the festive break on December 16 – nearly 10 days before Christmas. MPs will be absent from Westminster for the best part of three weeks.

Yet, in the United States, the Senate debated Barack Obama's controversial healthcare reforms on Christmas Eve with the US President winning a knife-edge vote. Can anyone explain this discrepancy? It's not as if Britain doesn't have any pressing issues for MPs to debate. How about the economy and counter-terrorism strategy for starters?

LESSON number two from our American friends this Christmas – apologise if you foul up.

President Obama did just that when he discovered that the intelligence services should have prevented an al-Qaida acolyte from attempting to blow up Flight 253 on Christmas Day over Detroit.

It took four days for the President to apologise. Here, I fear, politicians would still be congratulating themselves on a job well done.

IN a bad 2009 for politics, the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg is one of a tiny number of individuals to emerge with credit.

The Sheffield Hallam MP was instrumental in winning new residency rights for Gurkha veterans thanks to his high-profile campaign with the actress Joanna Lumley. And now we know why Ms Lumley was such an articulate advocate for the Gurkhas. "Personally, I have never encountered such a deadly combination of spell-binding charm and single-minded ruthlessness," reveals Clegg.

They are also the words of a politician who does not want to find himself on the wrong end of a Lumley tongue-lashing.

FINALLY, John Prescott, the former Deputy Prime Minister, isn't normally one to embrace his opponents. But I notice he made an

exception on his Twitter feed after watching his team, Hull City, lose 3-1 to a Wayne Rooney-inspired Manchester United at the KC Stadium. "Final thought. City played with heart and commitment against Rooney United! What a player," tweeted the "Big Man" who is not renowned for being magnanimous.

One question for you, John. What's more likely in 2010? Rooney inspiring England to World Cup glory – or you being nice to the Tories?