Investment in roads has soared in the past six years while resources for rail have scarcely changed, undermining ministers’ claims to be helping people to switch from cars to trains.

Figures seen by The Times show that spending on the road network has risen by more than 60 per cent since 2002 while money devoted to railways has increased by less than 10 per cent. The information, obtainedby the Liberal Democrats from parliamentary answers, comes after Network Rail said that passengers faced acute overcrowding on key train routes because capacity would be exhausted long before any new lines could be built.The Highways Agency has 36 large-scale road schemes under way, but with demand for rail travel booming, the only significant new rail line being planned for England is Crossrail.

Douglas McNeill, transport analyst at Blue Oar, a City stockbroking firm, said: “These figures illustrate the Government’s determination that railways should pay their way rather than depend on taxpayers’ money. That is hard to reconcile with the stated aim of encouraging travellers to switch from rail to road.”

Norman Baker, for the Lib Dems, said: “Unless we see a fundamental change in priorities, we will never escape dependence on oil and meet our climate change obligations.”

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