Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin’s attempt to put a positive spin on wage-busting rail fares plunged into farce yesterday when he was upstaged by commuter chaos.

The Tory minister was in Birmingham to trumpet the billions being spent redeveloping the city’s New Street station.

But Mr McLoughlin’s claim that 2.5 per cent rises were worth it was lost on passengers who faced delays of up to an hour after a signal failure.

The minister — a traitorous ex-member of the National Union of Mineworkers who condemned striking colleagues from a Tory Party conference podium — branded fare increases “regrettable.”

Prices were rising more than wages because of “record amounts” being invested into the industry, he claimed, as services ground to a halt.

But Labour shadow transport secretary Michael Dugher said rail privateers should be bearing the costs.

“In my view, if someone has to get their hand in their pocket, it’s got to be the operating companies,” he said.

After major disruption over Christmas due to overrunning engineering works in London, the bosses of taxpayer-owned infrastructure firm Network Rail (NR) will be hauled in front of MPs.

Commons transport committee chairwoman Louise Ellman said the January 14 hearing would consider the findings of a detailed report into the festive chaos due a week earlier.

“I expect Network Rail to explain what went wrong and account for what happened,” she said.

“Passengers deserve a detailed explanation of the causes of disruption, the steps that need to be taken to prevent recurrence and the lessons that need to be learned.”

In June NR was ordered to make £2 billion cuts over the next five years, prompting rail union warnings that safety and reliability would suffer, with a rising tide of zero-hours labour among an army of subcontractors.

“Corners are being cut and essential maintenance work delayed as the obsession with meeting cuts and targets overrides the delivery of safe and efficient services,” said RMT general secretary Mick Cash.