THE Lakes Line User Group (LLUG) has cautiously welcomed the news that the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) is investigating Network Rail's poor performance.

The ORR said it had put the track group "on a warning" with reference to cancellations and delays in the North West and Central regions of England.

"At long last a body has challenged the poor performance of the custodian, maintenance regime and operator, namely Network Rail," said a statement from the LLUG.

"This is long overdue.

"The LLUG has some confidence in ORR's ability to sort out the mess that is the recurring experience for passenger rail travel across the North West."

But the group stressed that three serious issues, Network Rails's train regulation and signalling, continual weekend and holiday closures on the West Coast Main Line, and the restoration of electrification and infrastructure projects, needed to be addressed in order to improve the current "lamentable" situation.