The rail industry is riddled with "uncontrollable costs" and needs radical change, a report from environmental group Transport 2000 claims.

The report revealed "the staggering scale of costs inflation and inefficiencies and secrecy".

These have allowed the costs of track maintenance and upgrades, signalling and structures to "escalate out of control".

But Network Rail rejected the report as "living in the past".

The report said the rail industry had too many managers and not enough able staff to take decisions.

Monday March 08, 2004