That's the assessment of Network Rail, the company that manages the track and stations.

It published its 10-year plan on Monday and says around 2,000 jobs will have to go in order to cut costs.

Do you think punctuality should be improved more quickly?

This debate is now closed. Read your comments below.

The following comments reflect the balance of views we have received:

The rail industry has suffered from years of underinvestment and then it was placed into the hands of profit making companies who have simply milked what was left. We have no-one but ourselves to blame for the state the railways are now in. The sooner everyone realises that this is a long job that will take time and can only be done by a non profit organisation the better.
Mike Powell, UK

Nobody wants to use a service which isn't frequent and punctual. No service can be punctual when using unreliable equipment. No equipment can be kept reliable without investment in the resources and personnel to do it. No investment will take place without the investors having some direct interest in the results of the investment. If the investors needed to use the railways for essential journeys they'd have an interest in the punctuality and frequency of train services.
JohnM, Lyne Meads, UK

It is cheaper to take the train Lee Bumstead, UK

Having compared the cost of a car to taking the train, I have since discovered that it is cheaper to take the train (I took into account all car expenses, not just the petrol). To make sure I could easily take the train every morning, I spent 4 days over the last two weeks travelling to work by train. Out of the 4 days, one train was late by 3 minutes - the rest were early or on time. So reading this article this morning made me wonder if there really is a problem. Because I can't see it in my neck of the woods. So for me, I am swapping the M3 for the train within the next two or three weeks.
Lee Bumstead, UK

Victorians didn't have to contend with trying to build a railway in short night-time periods while also having to run services on it during the day. A new railway can be built far more quickly than rebuilding an old one as it's more straightforward - witness the fact that the first stage of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link opens this September - and hardly anyone's noticed.
Ian, UK

We are repeatedly told that if we want a decent railway service in the UK we are going to have to pay for it. This comment has always annoyed me having travelled frequently on the French railway. So this morning I did some research. The UK government subsidises the railways with approximately �3.4 billion a year. The French government subsidise with an average of �3.9 billion. A journey of 413 miles (London to Edinburgh) will cost you �83.70 and take 4 hrs and 20 mins. A journey of 498 miles (Paris to Marseilles) will cost you �59.90 and take 3 hrs and 15 mins. Now, just so nobody argues that French rail subsidies are disproportionate, the average subsidy per passenger in the UK is �4.36 and in France it is �4.45. Add to this that French trains are so punctual that you can generally set your watch by them. You have to ask what we are paying for.
Nick, UK

I took the plane, I was there in an hour, and it cost me a third of the money Aristotelis Oikonomou, Athens

I visited the UK last year, and at some point I had to travel from London to Aberdeen. Naturally, I thought that the cheapest way to get there would be getting on the train. When I asked for the price, I thought I was on Candid Camera! Finally, I took the plane, I was there in an hour, and it cost me a third of the money believe it or not. In addition, every time Britain is on the news here in Greece, it usually involves a massive train accident. Also considering the delays, perhaps walking is faster..
Aristotelis Oikonomou, Athens, Greece

Our railways are a shambles compared to what I have seen in Germany, Denmark and other European countries. Throwing public money at private companies to help them improve the infrastructure is ridiculous - why should we pay for something we don't own? The railways should never have been privatised in the first place.
Nick Draper, Manchester, UK

All large technical system have their problems and it seems that UK rail engineers are trying to make the best out of rotting tracks and pre-historic rail stock. What strikes me when comparing railways across Europe, is the filth in the UK. Are there any cleaners employed ?
Ronakd Vopel, Belgium

As soon as I have obtained my driving license I will be boycotting the trains Daniel Ryan, Surrey

I find the train service utterly preposterous. The service is always running late, I hardly ever get a seat, and when I do, I can really see what a disgusting state the trains are in, rubbish, scratched windows, graffiti, missing seat cushions. I was once fined �45 because I was in a rush to catch the train, and was unable to buy a ticket or obtain a permit to travel because the machine was all smashed and broken. As soon as I have obtained my driving license I will be boycotting the trains.
Daniel Ryan, Surrey

A contributor to this page says the choice is between doing things quickly or properly? Compare the length of time it took the likes of Stephenson and Brunel to build rail infrastructure using Victorian technology with the time Network Rail says it will take to return it to an acceptable condition. The reason for the glaring discrepancy is that the former were not only gifted engineers but had a workforce which was competently managed. Also, if the Victorian railway builders screwed up, they couldn't expect a fat handout regardless.
Patrick, UK

I work for a major railway company and it really annoys me that the general public would prefer a rushed job rather than a good job. Ok we could do the railways within a year but then accidents will occur like Paddington. The railway is in a bad state and it will take that time to sort it out.
Anon, England

Oh no, not another 10 years. In a few years they'll announce yet even another 10 years. I always think of Soviet tractor factories when I hear these people talking like this.
Steve, UK

I travelled from Leighton Buzzard to Wimbledon and return today (for a training course, not tennis!). Having left home just before 0700 this morning you can imagine I was delighted to arrive at the station to discover overrunning engineering was in force, and trains were late and cancelled. Just as well the course presenter let us go at 1600, as I eventually got home at 2015. Surely we cannot continue to accept this standard of service - after all the return journey is only 90 miles as the crow flies. Punctuality - nothing more than a word in someone's dictionary, certainly not in 'Network Rail's' copy.
Dave, UK

Unless we are prepared to pay more taxes, there will never be a real and measurable improvement John Grounds, UK

It seems to me that people have very short memories. Whilst the current government has a lot to answer for, the blame for the current mess is due to years of chronic under-funding and the hopelessly botched privatisation by Major's Government. Unless we are prepared to pay more taxes, there will never be a real and measurable improvement.
John Grounds, UK

It all went downhill when the railways were privatised. Years later and any pundit will tell you that the result has been a complete, unmitigated disaster. What a major embarrassment, compared to most of our European neighbours who run fast trains, for reasonable fares, and on time.
Mike, UK

Railtrack was bad, but its clear now its execution was just a ploy by Labour to be publicly seen to be cutting the head off a Tory policy at vast expense. Network Rail, is on the surface no better, but when one considers that it cost tons of public money to create effectively the same monster, it becomes far worse.
Rachel, UK

Over the last 13 years I have travelled on the Chinese railway system extensively and only once in that time has train been late. It would seem that the people running - sorry did I say running - train services in U.K. should seek help from the Chinese rail authorities.
Bob Beadman, Hong Kong

A ten year plan, we could fit into Florida, twice, with room to spare, who is kidding whom? It's sneaky politics - more excuses to waste money. The general public, have not just landed from the moon.
F Williamson, Middlesbrough Teesside

Government policy on rail has been a huge success: a passive, subservient public has year on year accepted the most insulting unwillingness, on behalf of our leaders, to do anything about transport. The fact is the government won't spend the money, and they fob us off with spin and we let them get away with it. In no other comparable country would people allow themselves to be treated with such contempt. Why are the British so spineless?
Ed, UK

Of course, railways haven't been around for very long - only about 150-200 years. So come on, give them a break, they need a little longer to get it right!
Dave Dyer, United Kingdom

America said in the 60s that by the end of the decade they would put a man on the moon. The UK says by the end of the decade we hope to get 90% of the trains on time!
Anon, UK

This just looks like yet another boardroom carve up Richard, London

I have noticed that the Network Rail directors are all getting hefty bonuses for inadequate service. Surely whilst these people are being remunerated for a substandard service then there is absolutely NO incentive for them to get their fingers out and make the tracks better. This just looks like yet another boardroom carve up. Do these people have no shame?
Richard, London

As we are joined to France by rail, why can't we just let them take over and become one big network?
Mark, England

To Mark, why stop at France? The fatcats could learn a lot from the Swiss rail system where trains run on time and public transport is superb. Use their big bonuses to come to Switzerland to learn something constructive.
Steve, Switzerland

I work for NR and today experienced a classic double standard. Massive bonuses while at the same time we get an info pack about a new team awards programme. Inside it states the rewards to be given to teams that win. It says "the team will be taken for dinner or an event (modest of course)" - actual wording. Modest on the day the largest bonus given was �451,000. I think you can imagine what most NR staff feel at the moment.
Anon Network Rail Employee, UK

Is anything being done? All I see is more money being swallowed up into this bottomless pit while services slowly get worse. Welcome to Blair's Britain, where you pay more tax, then pay more for services while getting less.
Dave Tankard, UK

Let's bite on the bullet and sort it out now Anthony, UK

Rail delays = slower transport = more expensive goods = we all pay more. We are losing billions each year because of our inefficient rail system. Let's bite on the bullet and sort it out now. That way we would pay a lot now but save in the future. Get real about this, Government, we are seriously FED UP with this situation!!
Anthony, UK

I don't think that you can do more about the rail service. All these things take time. I cannot beleive however, that yet another company is paying it's directors incredible sums of money as it cuts jobs.
Neil, England

I'm a bit concerned about this 7-10 years to get the trains to run on time. I think greater money should be put into rail development than into rail maintenance. Rolling-stock aside, I believe there is room for an expanded rail network and investment on this should have a higher priority over road investment. Let's get inventive. For instance: Why don't we build light railways to run alongside or on top of parts of the motorway or A-road surfaces to remove some of the commuter burden?
Peter Lawton, UK

How can anyone seriously believe a 10-year projection? David Hazel, UK

There's a much more effective way of achieving the necessary improvements than producing 10-year plans (which is a joke in itself: how can anyone seriously believe a 10-year projection?) What should happen is that a law is passed that compels board-level directors of Network Rail, all of the train operating companies and all of the rail subcontractors to use rail travel for at least 50% of their own business-related commuting needs, including travelling to and from work. I would confidently predict a measurable improvement in performance within 3 months of such a law being enacted.
David Hazel, UK

I have been using the train for 3 months to commute from Bristol to Chippenham on the main Bristol - London line. I am on the verge of using the car instead as it works out cheaper. I am fed up of the train constantly being late, and for the past week when catching the train back to Bristol I haven't even been able to have a seat.
Sian Jones, Bristol, UK

I see that we have the usual statements from self accredited "experts" as to the perfect way that railways in (all) other (European) countries operate I do wonder how many of these "experts" actually do travel regularly on non-UK railways, most of which actually suffer many of the same sort of problems as we do in the UK - I have encountered trains running late, cancelled or turned back short of their destination whilst travelling on mainland Europe, so what is so different?
Bill Foote, UK

The whole rail network is a joke in this country Lance, UK

The whole rail network is a joke in this country. I now drive to work - it is cheaper and I arrive within 5 mins every day - no stress, I can listen to Chopin or the Chilli Peppers and enjoy air conditioning. No vandals /smokers or smelly people coughing over you in the overcrowded over heated trains. Have the SRA / Network Rail been to Europe, I doubt it, as they would learn how good a service the trains can offer.
Lance, UK

Yes, punctuality should be improved more quickly, but Network Rail is doing the best it can with only half-hearted support from the Government. Come on, if the Government could find countless millions to bail out the Railtrack shareholders every few months, they can find the money they need to invest in Network Rail so that the railways can run at the level they should be running at.
Chris Neville-Smith, Durham, England

I can't be bothered with trains anymore. I just drive instead. Trains are too slow and too expensive on the days they DO run.
Alex Green, London, England

It's about time this government pulled their finger out - admitted how bad things REALLY are George, UK

I've been delayed this morning, for the second successive Monday - by almost an hour, meaning that having travelled for two hours, I wont have a lunch to make up for lost time. It's about time this government pulled their finger out - admitted how bad things REALLY are and then spent the money NOW - not over ten years - NOW. Enough cash is going into the kitty and it should be spent. Its bad enough the commuter is blamed for the decades of lack of investment by putting fares up... no more excuses. Its 2003 - it's about time we had a rail network fit for 1980 at least.
George, UK

I realise that things take time but as a commuter I feel betrayed by both the rail industry and the government. During this time we are still expected to endure delays, increasing fares and a generally poor service. How do they expect to encourage people to use public transport.
Sarah, UK

The government is persecuting motorists and yet there is only 80% chance of arriving on time when taking the train. What possible incentive is there for anyone to travel by rail for business purposes at the moment? If the government are serious about encouraging use of the rail network then it is time to bite the bullet and invest real time and money in hauling the rail network into the 21st century.
Steve Ford, Notts, UK

They will flood the country with yet more roads Keith, UK

It would appear that the government is doing all it can to destroy rail travel whilst using their spin machine to state otherwise. Once this objective is complete they will be able to flood the country with yet more roads citing that they did all they could to save the railways. It's time ministers stopped pandering to the road lobby and financed the rebuilding of our rail network with the billions currently earmarked for the massive road building programme.
Keith, UK

The trouble with Britain? Few people understand that you can a) Have things done quickly or b) Have things done PROPERLY. I'd far rather put up with the delays for a few more years, than ride on a punctual train in fear of my life due to cutbacks which were deemed necessary to rush the job!
Ross Allan, UK

Privatisation was going so well! Well it brought in the money, the fat cats didn't notice the service, they used their cars.
James Clarke, UK

I wonder if the managers of Network Rail have ever taken a train in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, etc. Just about every other civilised country in western Europe manages to run a rail service which makes ours look positively Victorian. Cutting jobs to save money seem to completely miss the point: the rail network is part of the country's infrastructure. It is of national importance that we have an efficient rail system; it is not of national importance that Network Rail's directors make themselves millionaires.
Bryan, UK

I don't understand why this is so difficult. Surely all we need to do is find out how the French and Italians run their excellent railways and copy what they are doing.
John Lawrence, UK