Delayed train travellers to get better waiting rooms

A total of 2,500 staffed railway stations are to be given a make-over within the next two years, as part of the long-term strategy for tackling passengers' woes.

But passenger groups may see the promise of better waiting rooms and improved toilets on platforms as little more than making them more comfortable while they face longer delays for their trains.

Plans to be unveiled tomorrow by Richard Bowker, chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, will set out a clear timetable for upgrades of services on lines across Britain, including dates for the completion of the West Coast mainline upgrading to take Virgin's "leaning" trains.

There will be an announcement later on as to whether Virgin or GNER has won the contract for the newEast Coast mainline.

Much of the immediate investment will be poured into routes in London and the South East, which could upset travellers in the regions. London's commuter routes are, however, among the most criticised in the country and Mr Bowker is expected to focus his attention on them. More passengers use Liverpool Street station each day than Heathrow.

The strategy will seek to end the fragmentation of the rail network and confirm plans announced by Mr Bowker before Christmas to reduce to one the number of train operating franchises for each of London's mainline stations.

About £430m will be spent on Rail Passenger Partnership schemes to deliver short-term improvements. Passenger groups will be asked to nominate schemes for "enhanced" services, such as additional services at peak times or longer trains.

The Liberal Democrats last night accused the Government of recycling old announcements. There was speculation that the plans will contain a promise to deliver 1,700 new railway carriages by 2004. Don Foster, the party's Transport spokesman, said Stephen Byers, the Secretary of State for Transport, announced in a Commons reply on 19 December last year that 2,019 new carriages were on order but only 195 had been delivered so far.

It was unrealistic, Mr Foster said, to expect they would be delivered by the deadline of 1 January, 2005. Fellow Lib Dem spokesman Tom Brake said: "The delay in delivering new trains means that old, dangerous trains will be on the rails for too long."

The Lib Dems also claimed that plans for upgrading the power supply on rail routes was in disarray. In the Southern Region, Railtrack's successor would not be able to upgrade its lines by the deadline of the end of 2004.