Do you realise how old Britain's trains are?

(David Parry/PA)

Rail campaigners have called for investment in trains that are "fit for this century" after figures showed just how old Britain's rolling stock has become.

Ed Cox, director at think-tank IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research) North, delivered a zinger when he said: "Some of the North's outdated train rolling stock could be considered more of a laughing stock, with carriages and overcrowding not fit for purpose for a burgeoning northern economy.

"Decades of chronic underinvestment in the North's transport infrastructure has held back the region, with commuters and business frustrated by the poor service on offer."

5 troubling stats about our ageing trains

Here are the kind of worrying figures that Ed and the IPPR are, well, worrying about.

1. Britain's rolling stock is at its oldest in 14 years.

2. The average age of trains is 20.2 years across the country.

3. Average rolling stock in London and the South East is 18.1 years old.

4. The figure for the rest of the country is 22.6 years.

5. Merseyrail has the oldest trains of any operator, averaging 36.3 years.

So what's the problem?

Martin Abrams of the Campaign for Better Transport said: "These figures are not particularly surprising as we know thousands of passengers are travelling on trains simply not fit for purpose.

"In the North of England, for instance, passengers are still having to endure the decrepit old Pacer trains.
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"The problem is there's no national rolling stock strategy from the Government and that's what needs to change.

"The Government needs to come up with a plan to replace outdated rolling stock and ensure passengers have trains fit for the 21st century."

Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: "The lack of planning on Britain's fragmented and privatised railways has left growing numbers of passengers travelling in clapped-out, overcrowded trains while the rip-off rail companies are laughing all the way to the bank."

Transport Salaried Staffs Association leader Manuel Cortes said: "Passengers deserve so much better from the rail companies than to be shunted around in old, outdated and uncomfortable carriages.

"This Government should get a grip and start investing in a railway and rolling stock fit for this century not the last one."

What's being done about the decrepit rolling stock?

The RDG insisted the private sector has invested billions of pounds in new trains over the past 20 years.

The organisation added that trains which have already been ordered will reduce the average age of the national fleet.

A spokesman said: "Train companies work closely with the Department for Transport (DfT) to buy new rolling stock. In the next few years, thousands of new carriages will be introduced with more seats, giving passengers faster and more comfortable journeys."

The DfT claimed it was committed to introducing modern trains and called on the rail industry to "come up with further innovative proposals" to improve rolling stock.

A spokesman said: "We're already making massive improvements through franchising – such as removing Pacer trains from the North of England and introducing new state-of-the-art trains on the East Coast, Great Western and Thameslink lines.

"By the end of 2019 there will be more than 3,700 extra carriages on the network compared to 2010."

Data based on figures released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) showing the average age of rolling stock between January and March.