BRITAIN'S railway industry has been branded a "shambles" by York Liberal Democrats.

They plan to urge City of York Council to debate the progress of new railway stations at Haxby and Strensall when the council meets tonight

The party's transport spokeswoman, Ann Reid, has registered her intention to speak about the lack of progress in developing the stations, proposed and accepted by the council in 1997.

She will say: "The delays are principally caused by the shambles that has developed in the rail industry under the Labour Government.

"At a time when we are looking for ways of reducing traffic congestion in the city, new rail halts at Strensall, Haxby, the hospital, York Business Park and Copmanthorpe could have produced much-needed relief.

"Yet, after six years in the programme we are no closer to seeing a start on building work, much less the introduction of new services."

City of York Council officers have told the Liberal Democrats: "One of the key issues all along has been the agreement of all parties to the proposed timetable. The draft bid indicated a 20-minutes service which Arriva were happy with and Railtrack, whilst indicating at meetings that it could work, would not formally approve.

"However, this became irrelevant when the Strategic Railway Authority indicated that they felt that the business case for a 20-minute service was not good, and they gave us a very strong hint that they would look favourably on a lesser frequency."

But work to produce a new timetable ran into difficulties when two people working on the scheme for Arriva left the company, he said.

"We are now in a position that, until Arriva produces a new timetable for Railtrack's approval, we cannot progress this scheme."

Updated: 11:17 Tuesday, January 08, 2002