Two train companies operating in Essex are more punctual than virtually anywhere else in the country.
New figures released by the Strategic Rail Authority show that only Merseyside and the Isle of Wight can beat the region's First Great Eastern and c2c train operators for being on time.
However, it appears that train fares are set to rise after Transport Secretary Alistair Darling admitted it was "totally unrealistic" to keep fares in line with inflation and warned that ticket prices would rise later this year.
Ninety-one per cent of c2c trains and 88 per cent of those from First Great Eastern arrived on time in January to March of this year, compared with a national average of a fifth of trains being late.
Passenger complaints in the south of the county were low with only 13 irate c2c passengers and 49 First Great Eastern travellers expressing their concerns for every 100,000 passenger journeys.
Published Tuesday, June 17, 2003
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