A SECOND week of flooding has meant commuter hell for passengers travelling to and from Wharfedale this week.

As Wharfedale Newspapers went to press, trains between Ilkley and Leeds were still not running after severe flooding at Kirkstall.

And at the weekend, rail services between Ilkley and Bradford were withdrawn due to two landslips at Ben Rhydding.

Now, the Wharfedale Rail Users' Group has blasted rail company Northern Spirit for failing to provide passengers with accurate information.

"We recognise the scale of external problems which have led to the dislocation of Wharfedale rail services during the past week," said group secretary Derrick Joanes.

"The Group is, however, appalled at the lack of accurate information in the media, on Ceefax, on Northern Spirit's website, and at stations concerning if or when services would resume."

Mr Joanes said the group was

pressing Northern Spirit to provide more reliable information.

But a spokesman for Northern Spirit said yesterday that station staff and the media were regularly informed of the 'ever changing situation.'

"The exceptional weather conditions throughout the region have

presented huge challenges to Northern Spirit, given the severity of the problems," he said.

"Providing an alternative bus

service in the early stages of this disruption proved difficult because the scale of the problems meant that buses and coaches were in short supply."

The Ilkley to Bradford service is now running and Northern Spirit is expected to announce today (Thursday) when the Ilkley to Leeds service will resume, following track inspections.

Buses are running normally between Ilkley and Leeds and drivers had an easier time of it this week, although the road between Burley-in-Wharfedale and Otley was closed during Monday due to flooding.