A RAIL watchdog has accused East Coast of “bad practice” after it emerged the York-based train company had added minutes to its journey times as bad weather loomed.

East Coast inserted up to 18 minutes to its timetabled journeys between the penultimate station and the destination station, such as Kings Cross, during a week last November.

It said it had done this on the recommendations of Network Rail in the light of poor weather forecasts, and said the changes had been communicated with passengers.

But the watchdog Passenger Focus has claimed it did not inform the National Rail Inquiries Service and passengers were therefore misled.

The organisation’s chief executive Anthony Smith said: “Putting in extra time between the last-but-one and the final station as a cushion against late running during the journey is bad practice. “Whenever timetables are revised the changes must be properly communicated to passengers – that didn’t happen on this occasion.”

He said Passenger Focus had reported the matter to the Government, which had taken it very seriously and made it clear such behaviour was ‘unacceptable.’ He said: “We have also asked the Office of Rail Regulation to consider if it is too easy for train companies to add time in to improve performance figures.”

An East Coast spokesman said that on Sunday, November 7, it and Network Rail had discussed the forecast weather for the following day, which predicted 50 mph-plus winds and ‘poor rail adhesion conditions’ on most of its route in England.

He said: “Network Rail recommended that we add extra running time into our timetable from the following morning.

“We added 18 minutes additional running time to all trains between their penultimate stop and terminating station, such as between Stevenage and London King’s Cross for trains terminating in London.

“We communicated customer information using various channels, including our customer website and at stations. We are currently reviewing our communications during service disruption, especially in the light of experience gained during December’s weather conditions.”