IT starts to make you wonder just when the generally poor state of train services in the UK will start to improve.

Successive governments have long pledged that they will plough investment into the railways in a bid to entice people out of their cars and so cut the impact on the environment.

Some of the more flagship routes have done that, but the local routes often remain overcrowded, underfunded and certainly do not provide value for money.

All the indications now are that targets for increasing the number of passenger places on trains by March 2014 will be missed.

Even more damning, a report from the House Of Commons Public Accounts Committee admits it is “not clear to passengers where the money from increased fares has been spent.’’

That begs the obvious question, why not?

If governments want people to show a commitment to changing the way they travel and think of the environment then they have to show real leadership and investment.

When franchises come up for renewal specific improvements should be built into them with clear timescales.

No-one should be paying more for tickets and getting a worse service.

There is no logic in that and no long-term benefit to either the railways or the passengers.

For once they lose these passengers back to the roads, they may be gone for good.