Travellers using Northern Spirit trains are getting a better service on some routes, according to figures released today.

A report by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising showed reliability on the company's transPennine express and West and North Yorkshire short journeys was put at 99 per cent in the year ending March 31 - a slight improvement on the previous 12 months.

Punctuality was also better on the transPennine and West and North Yorkshire short journeys, - between 92.1 per cent and 95.5 per cent.

But the long haul journeys in West and North Yorkshire showed no change in terms of reliability and were worse for punctuality in the same period.

Overall - taking into account all the services run by Northern Spirit - it achieved reliability of 98.9 per cent and punctuality of 93.3 per cent in the year up to March.

A company spokesman said the punctuality figure was still above the national target of 91 per cent but he added: "We are determined to build on that and achieve even better punctuality and reliability this year.

"It is disappointing about the long haul journeys but we will be looking at them to bring them in line with our top performers."

Tim Calow, chairman of the Aire Valley Rail Users' Group, said: "From the point of view of the Aire Valley, punctuality and reliability of these services have generally been not bad.

"We have had a couple of specific problems recently with the breakdown of signalling in Leeds which has caused major problems.

"But overall it isn't a bad service, although there is some room for improvement."

The figures come less than 24 hours after commuters were stranded for up to two hours when a freight train broke down in Keighley.

And Halifax to Bradford services were delayed after a train hit an object in a tunnel.

Nationally the Opraf figures showed train reliability and punctuality are getting worse.

Just one company, the tiny Isle of Wight Island Line, was placed in the top category grade for performances.

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