A RAIL boss has issued a public apology to travellers in East Lancashire for late and cancelled trains this winter.

Train operator Northern has seen its punctuality figures for the four-week period leading up to early December dip to less than 85 per cent of services running on time.

And rail chiefs have blamed a combination of signalling cable thefts and staff shortages for the delays and postponements.

A number of peak-time trains on the East Lancashire line have been cancelled recently because of a lack of train crews.

Lee Wasnidge, Northern’s area director for their western region, has vowed to improve the performance figures in 2009.

He said: “We are sorry for the delays and cancellations to some of our services in the area recently.

“The reasons for this include the theft of signalling cable, the impact of bad weather and unexpected shortages of train crew.

“We are working hard to return to the high level of performance that we delivered in the spring and summer of 2008.”

The Lancashire and Cumbria area punctuality figures are 84.9 per cent, compared to a 91.3 per cent average for the year.

Rail services in East Lancashire have only recently returned to normal after delays caused by leaf fall.

Trains only called at Cherry Tree or Pleasington stations, and later Huncoat or Hapton stations, on alternate runs.