YORK’S flagship train company, East Coast, has again suffered the poorest punctuality record, according to figures from Network Rail.

The nationalised business achieved a trains-on-time figure of only 87.7 per cent in June – the only company to fail to hit at least 90 per cent.

Nationally, 93 per cent of trains ran on time in the four-week period to June 26.

East Coast pledged “robust” action in May when punctuality figures for April put it bottom of the league.

It said then its services had been disrupted by five separate incidents outside its control.

A spokesman said yesterday it was working closely with Network Rail to deliver “robust joint action plans” to improve punctuality of services.

It said punctuality in June was affected by a number of incidents, with the greatest disruption caused by factors outside its control, including signalling, points and electrical supply problems, a fatality between Durham and Darlington and a cable theft near Newcastle.

The East Coast spokesman said: “Nevertheless, we recognise we can do better: our train performance is not where we want it to be and we are working hard to improve it.”

East Coast was taken over by the Government last year when transport giant National Express gave up the franchise, but it is expected to return to the private sector in 2012.