The managing director of London Midland has assured MPs that newly qualified drivers and changes to the train timetable will alleviate a spate of recent service problems.

At a meeting on Monday MP for Watford, Richard Harrington, discussed the delays and cancellations alongside four other members of parliament.

London Midland said the recent problems arose from staff shortages, and that the Department for Transport is closely scrutinising the service on an almost daily basis.

Daniel Scaife, from London Midland, said a new timetable had been introduced, as well as training new drivers to qualify this month.

During the meeting MPs including Richard raised a number of other issues on pricing, delays and the fulfillment of their franchising agreement.

He said: "We have been hearing explanations and excuses for some time, now the only thing I am interested in is seeing an improved service for my constituents who rely on London Midland trains.

"I very much hope that these new measures will eradicate the problems we have seen of late and I will be keeping a very close eye on this locally and with the Department for Transport."

The MPs in attendance were Richard Harrington MP for Watford, who organised the meeting, as well as Jack Dromey, MP for Birmingham Erdington, Richard Burden, MP for Birmingham Northfield, Aidan Burley, MP for Cannock Chase and a representative from the office of Karen Lumley, MP for Redditch.

The group agreed to continue to look at performance at a local level and report problems and individual cases to London Midland.

Mr Harrington added: "At the meeting in February we will have another chance to review the situation when London Midland have had a chance to fix any problems.

"The company knows that recent problems are not acceptable and that myself and other MPs will do anything necessary to ensure that commuters get a service they can rely and that provides good value for money.

"Time is running out for London Midland to show that they are the company that can deliver on this."