Network Rai regulator: more delays expected It is facing many problems of its own making, having failed to deliver plans to renew Britain's rail network, with delayed works now affecting performance. Norman Baker, the rail minister, said he was "dismayed" by Network Rail's performance and accused the company of letting passengers down. He said he will demand an improvement when he meets Sir David Higgins, the chief executive. "Fare payers and tax payers are investing heavily in the future of the railways and they need to have the confidence that Network Rail is maximising the impact every pound has," Mr Baker said. In all 25,852 long distance trains were either more than half an hour late or cancelled completely in the first quarter of this year compared with 21,960 last year. The proportion of trains which arrived on time also fell between April and July this year, compared with the same period 12 months ago. Commuter trains are deemed to have arrived on time if they are less than five minutes late. In London and the South East, this fell from 91.4 per cent last year to 91.2 per cent according to the latest figures, well short of the 93 per cent target Network Rail agreed with the regulator. For long distance intercity trains, trains are only regarded as late if they fail to arrive within 10 minutes of schedule. The performance on these services was even more abject with only 87.3 services on time compared with 89.1 per cent last year. Industry insiders now believe it will be impossible for Network Rail to meet the targets it agreed with the regulator five years ago. It pledged to run 93 per cent of London's commuter services and 92 per cent of long distance trains on time. On current performance the company is likely to face a fine of at least £75 million and probably closer to £100 million. The poor performance will also hit the high-earning executive directors in the pocket with 27 per cent of their annual bonus - which is worth 60 per cent of their salary - directly linked to punctuality. David Sidebottom, the director of the consumer watchdog, Passenger Focus, voiced his disappointment at the latest figures. Passengers are now the main funders of the railway, so it is even more crucial they can expect a reliable service. Network Rail needs to work hard to improve its performance and to rebuild trust within the industry and with the public. However the company sought to defend its performance. Although we have been unable to reach these tough targets, today half a million more trains arrive at their destination on time compared with five years ago, carrying tens of millions more passengers. Train performance is still, by historical standards, at a high level - last year was the third best year ever recorded - but we know we can do better, especially on our long-distance routes.