London Midland train delays reach record high

Only 49% of passengers said they were satisfied with London Midland's handling of delays

Rail passengers have suffered poor punctuality on a record number of their trains since November, according to figures from London Midland.

The past two months have been the worst since published records began, more than four years ago.

Some 40% of Birmingham commuter trains were delayed by over five minutes from mid-November to mid-December, improving slightly to 31% by early January.

The national average for the same period is 19% and 18% respectively.

Between mid-November and early January, 65% of London Midland trains reached London Euston within five minutes of their scheduled arrival, against a national average of 82%.

The company blamed "higher than usual" staff sickness and infrastructure problems, including signalling, electrical and track faults.

Other delays were caused by flooding, a lorry hitting a bridge and a fatality.

It added: "Customers who have been delayed by 30 minutes or more can claim compensation through the Delay Repay scheme."

The National Passenger Survey shows customer satisfaction at its lowest (49% satisfied) with London Midland's handling of delays.

In mid-December the government told London Midland to offer a £7m passenger compensation package, including free travel for season ticket holders.

Two weeks ago managing director Patrick Verwer said he was "embarrassed" by the company's performance between October and the end of December 2012.

The company has yet to comment on the figures.