Rail passengers are at the end of their tether through the delays and cancellations that have occurred this autumn.

It's bad enough having to wait for hours to reach your destination. It's even worse when you have no idea what's happening because train operators haven't bothered to tell you.

Rail operators in Sussex were sniffy recently when passengers left trains which were badly delayed just north of Brighton and walked along the track.

But a report into the incident today says passengers could hardly be blamed when Thameslink and Connex SouthCentral did not keep them informed.

It doesn't take much for conductors and drivers to make announcements when trains are delayed and all carriages are now equipped with radio systems.

They should use them or not be surprised when frustrated passengers leave trains even if this is at risk to their own lives and those of others.