RAIL passengers are facing continued delays, despite a decision to ease speed restrictions across the network.

Railtrack announced yesterday that some of the speed limits introduced in the wake of the Hatfield crash six weeks ago would be increased, following talks with the Health and Safety Executive.

The move comes after Government pressure to end the crisis on the rail network, including the creation of a task force led by Transport Minister Lord Macdonald.

However, GNER said last night that the changes would make little difference to passengers on the East Coast Main Line.

Some 20mph limits will be raised to 40mph and existing 40mph restrictions increased to 60mph under Railtrack's initiative.

A GNER spokesman said that the move would not reduce journey times between the North-East and London or lead to more frequent services.

The company has been running an hourly service on the East Coast Main Line since the Hatfield tragedy and trains between Darlington and London have been taking four-and-a-half hours, instead of the normal two-and-three-quarter hours.

The spokesman said: "It will mean the revised timetable will run more punctually, but it is not enough to reduce journey times."

He said that journey times would have to fall by about an hour before more trains could run.

GNER is working on a new time-table, to come into effect from December 18, to cope with the expected increase in passengers when the line carries more than 40,000 people a day, instead of the normal 35,000.

Buses will run between Darlington and Newcastle until 4pm tomorrow while Railtrack carries out track repairs at Newton Hall, near Durham.

That section of line will also be closed next weekend, but work to repair the track at Croft, near Darlington, during the week will be completed overnight, with no expected disruption to services.

Railtrack London North Eastern director Nicholas Pollard said: "We are continuing to seek every available opportunity to do this work as safely and as quickly as possible, with the aim of getting the route more or less back to normal by the end of the year."

Sections of the line will also be shut between Christmas and the New Year while further maintenance work is carried out.