FRUSTRATED rail users said train services in South Cumbria are "a farce" and described rail operator Northern as "a joke".

Kevin Nelson accompanied his elderly mum Linda to the Royal Lancaster Hospital on Thursday where she received treatment for an ongoing back complaint.

The pair paid a total of £30 for return tickets and were due to get the 12.30pm train back to Barrow from Lancaster but delays, cancellations and utter confusion led to them only getting home at 6pm.

"The 12.30pm train didn't turn up and we were told another train had broken down, the brakes failed and it was blocking the line, so the station staff said a coach was being sent," Mr Nelson, from Walney, said.

"The coach never turned up so they said they were sending two more. They then said the line was clear, the train got as far as Carnforth and then had to go back to Lancaster.

"We were then put on a coach at Lancaster which took us back to Carnforth! We then had to wait another couple of hours before finally getting on a train to Barrow."

Barrow's MP John Woodcock knows only too well about the problems facing rail users.

“Northern Rail continues to provide a service that can sometimes be described as woeful and that is underscored by the appalling experience that Kevin Nelson and his mum were forced to endure," he said.

"They deserve to be compensated by Northern Rail and I would urge them to approach the company for remedies. If they are rebuffed they should contact me through my office in Hartington Street in Barrow and I will write to the company on their behalf.

"Northern Rail has said a new and extended timetable will be introduced from May 20 and that looks like a positive move, but given the catalogue of setbacks, delays and cancellations, we will believe in those improvements when we see them."

Mr Nelson is just one of many Furness rail users who are frustrated at what they say is an "inadequate" service provided by train operator Northern.

"It's a farce and Northern are a joke," he added.

Roose resident Matt Sanderson travels to Manchester and back three times a week.

The 45-year-old, who has mobility issues following an accident, is another long-suffering commuter who said Northern's service is "inadequate at best".

"From May they're introducing a new timetable service which Northern claim will result in more, quicker trains between Barrow and Manchester," he said.

"The problem is, fewer of those trains will stop at Roose, which when you look at the geography of Barrow is better suited for around a third of the town, means many will have to go all the way to Barrow to then find their way home.

"Mine is just one of many stories of rail users who are fed up with the service locally."

Stephen Morris is another frustrated customer.

It's a joke the amount of times after a 10/12 hour shift they just cancelled the last train back to Barrow they then send a mini bus from Preston," he said.

"Then when it reaches your destination there's no room on it. Then you get home at 4am, have a not so wonderful night's sleep and do it all again the next day."

Sharon Keith, Northern regional director, said: “Thursday was a challenging day for our customers, with a broken down train and signalling problems causing issues across south and west Cumbria for much of the day.

“I would like to apologise for those who were caught up in either, or both, of the incidents and can assure our customers we are doing everything we can to provide them with the service they want and deserve.

“We have already replaced one of the Class 37 locomotives and continue to work with our partners to develop further improvements in the county.

“Our plans to modernise the network are also continuing as we look to introduce new trains, refurbish our entire fleet to a high standard, and improve our stations to give customers greater comfort than ever before.

“By 2020 our improvements will be complete and we will also have introduced an extra 2,000 rail services across the network each week.”