Translink has announced there will be another four month delay in upgrading the L'Derry-Belfast railway.

SDLP Spokesperson on Regional Development John Dallat MLA said it is "another unsurprising disappointment".

He said: "This really is becoming a comedy of mismanagement by Translink who clearly lack the expertise and experience to oversee even minor upgrades of its railway system.

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"In these circumstances it would be best if the management of the railway system was separated from the operational day-to-day running and taken over by a separate entity operating on an all-island basis.

"The catalogue of setbacks in the process to bring about a first-class intercity service is no joke and these consistent failures reflect poorly on us as a society.

"The continuing setbacks in the North West in relation to roads and railway improvements is very serious and raises further questions which the Minister Danny Kennedy should be concerned about if he is to demonstrate that he is successfully making capital investments in transport infrastructure to address the historical neglect of the past."

(CD/MH)