The latest network paralysis took place just days after North Korea accused South Korea and the U.S. of staging a cyberattack that shut down its websites for two days last week.

WSJ: South Korea Banks, Media Report Possible Cyberattack

In his assessment of Railtrack, which is responsible for the rail network's track and signals, Lord Cullen acknowledges an "institutional paralysis" and the company's apparent "inability to achieve anything with speed".

BBC: A lot still to do

And it would also mean paralysis of the system because it would take a few years to put it in place and the railway network would simply get worse rather than better.

BBC: News Online