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.