A decade of delays on the District line has been uncovered - and more trains than ever are still keep us waiting.

The figures, released by the secretary of state for transport, show how signal failures causing delays of more than two minutes increased by 151 between 1996 and 2003, when Transport for London took over control of the Underground.

Between 1996 and 2003, track failures causing delays of more than two minutes increased from 74 to 143.

After 2003, signal failures dropped to 437 and track failures fell to 81.

A London Underground spokesman said: "Far from being worse than ten years ago, the Tube has improved since it was transferred to Transport for London (TfL) in July 2003 and is running more trains and carrying more passengers than ever before.

"TfL is investing £10bn to improve transport in London, more than half of that in the Tube, to reverse decades of under investment.

"London Underground is now running 20 per cent more trains and carrying 30 per cent more passengers than ten years ago.

"On the District line, signal failures have been cut by 4 per cent, and track failures by a significant 43 per cent compared to the levels in 2002-3, the last year before the Tube transferred to Transport for London.

"The improvement in failures on the District line would have been better if Metronet, who maintain the District line, had invested more in maintenance since they took over responsibility for the line's maintenance in 2003.

"London Underground became concerned that Metronet was not maintaining the District line to an appropriate standard so we issued a Corrective Action Notice to Metronet in April 2006 to ensure that they brought the line up to London Underground standards which they have subsequently done.

"We know there is more to do, and we continue to press the companies responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the Tube's infrastructure to invest more in maintenance."