Tory transport minister Claire Perry has drawn ridicule for “toasting the success” of the railways when thousands of passengers faced hours of delay in the bitter cold.

Writing in a Sunday newspaper, the minister declared: “The trains are busier now than at any time since the 1920s. In fact, passenger numbers have doubled since privatisation in the 1990s and services here are now among the most punctual in Europe.”

The article, which appeared in The People under the headline “Why I’m so chuffed” did not mention Saturday’s scenes of chaos, when trains in and out of King’s Cross were cancelled because maintenance work was not finished on time.

On Boxing Day, Ms Perry had used her column in the Wiltshire Gazette to claim that the large amount of work taking place on the tracks over Christmas was a major sign of improvement.

Travel chaos around the UK Show all 6 1 /6 Travel chaos around the UK Travel chaos around the UK Travel chaos Travelers are locked out of Finsbury Park station, London, where they were directed to go as trains in and out of King's Cross have been cancelled PA Travel chaos around the UK Travel chaos Passengers wait at King's Cross, London, as trains in and out of the station have been cancelled PA Travel chaos around the UK Travel chaos Railway workers on the tracks outside King's Cross, London, as trains in and out of the station have been cancelled because of overrunning Network Rail engineering works PA Travel chaos around the UK Travel chaos Travellers are locked out of Finsbury Park station, London, where they were directed to go as trains in and out of King's Cross have been cancelled PA Travel chaos around the UK Travel chaos Travellers are locked out of Finsbury Park station, London PA Travel chaos around the UK Travel chaos People wait outside Finsbury Park station, London PA