TRAVELLERS affected by delays and cancellations often complain the problem is compounded by frustration at lack of information.

Yesterday, we saw thousands of rail commuters waiting in vain at stations for trains that were not going to arrive.

Some waited an hour and a half after the problem developed before they found there would be nothing moving for the foreseeable future.

Replacement buses at stations made up for some disruption but added to the roads congestion.

ScotRail said it was a signalling problem and pointed to Network Rail. Passengers left in the dark at Central Station was also, apparently, Network Rail's problem.

The fragmented rail system of track owners, train operators and sub-contracted maintenance has become a post privatisation fact of life, but it doesn't mean they can't speak to each other.

ScotRail, Network Rail and the government department Transport Scotland all share the same office building in the city centre.

They couldn't be any closer together without sharing the same desk, so there is no excuse for lack of communication and failure to get information to the public.

At seven in the morning passengers are not interested in who owns what, they just want to know when and how they can get from A to B ... with no excuses.