A HEAD teacher has asked his pupils to monitor trains carrying students to and from school after reports that some services have been running "ridiculously" late.

More than 100 pupils from Queen Katherine School in Kendal use trains on the Lakes Line to travel from Windermere, Staveley and Burneside each day.

Head teacher Stephen Wilkinson said that he had started talks with train operators Trans Pennine Express to see how the service could be improved.

"There have been difficulties for pupils using the service, and one student who lives along the line has been monitoring the situation," said Mr Wilkinson. "There have been two occasions that I know of when the trains have been very late, ridiculously so in my view. The train tends to be a few minutes late every day but there is a blip every six weeks."

Mr Wilkinson explained that he had written to all parents of children who used the service asking for their views and was expecting a visit from representatives of the train company to discuss the service.

He added that so far the company had co-operated by changing its timetable, to give pupils more time to get to school, and he believed he was working positively with the company.

"I am clearly conscious of the welfare and safety of my pupils," added Mr Wilkinson.

Secretary of the Lakes Line Action Group Malcolm Conway said that the problem of late running trains was compounded by the fact that the unmanned station shelter at Kendal was frequently vandalised, with its windows smashed.

The public announcement system at Oxenholme station, which informs travellers waiting at stations further up the line of alterations and delays, was also rarely used, he said, meaning that passengers were often left waiting not knowing when the service would arrive.

"Kendal is one of the biggest stations on the line but people don't know what is going on. A prime example was when the service changed to buses at the weekends. People were waiting on the platform for a train not knowing that a bus would arrive at the bottom of the road instead," said Mr Conway.

After years of campaigning, Mr Conway said that Trans Pennine, which was responsible for Kendal station, had promised the group new CCTV cameras and a new public information system would soon be installed.

Trans Pennine spokesman David Mallender confirmed that CCTV cameras and a PA system would be put in during the coming months and that an engineer had been examining vandalism to the station's shelter.

"We have a bit of work to do up there to make sure that we improve security at the station," admitted Mr Mallender.

"Most of our trains do run on time but people need to be informed when there is disruption to the line. If services are not as good as they should be, then we will be sorting them out," he added.