Ministers have been urged to publish delayed plans for new train carriages to ease overcrowding on rail services in Bath as soon as possible.

Members of the Commons South West Committee have welcomed the move to electrify the mainline between London and Swansea, but raised concerns that it could hold up bringing in extra rolling stock to bring relief to long-suffering passengers fed up with being crammed together.

In a report out today, the MPs also pointed out the region had some of the highest rail fares in Europe and have called on South West Minister Jim Knight to investigate the impact of ticket prices in the area.

Among those to give evidence at public meetings held by the committee was the Campaign for Better Transport's Bristol & Bath Travel to Work Area group.

The MPs also highlighted the improvements to bus services through the Bath Public Transport Package, which will receive £49 million of Government funds, and will include the controversial Bus Rapid Transit route and a new park and ride site at Bathampton.

The committee called on other towns and cities in the region to follow suit arguing that bus services appear "to have received little attention from planners, leaving the operating companies with convenient excuses for poor reliability and punctuality".

"As they seek to address problems with their road networks, planners in the South West should have as a key concern the impact on existing public transport services and the potential for new or expanded routes," said the report.

The MPs added: "Whilst welcoming electrification, we note that the programme is estimated not to be completed before 2017.

"We also note that the resulting capacity gap in rolling stock is likely to hinder efforts to reduce overcrowding across the South West.

"We recognise that the Government was addressing the issue of insufficient rolling stock before the announcement to electrify the mainline, but since then the situation appears to have become mired in review.

"The paying public would be rightly aggrieved if they had to wait until 2017 for new rolling stock.

"Waiting longer in the event that electrification is delayed by unforeseen events would be untenable. We urge the Government to finalise its new rolling stock plan as soon as possible."

The committee in its report pointed to the high cost of rail fares. It said: "2010 has seen further increases in unregulated fares, despite low inflation over the previous year.

"In addition, train companies in the region have, during the last year, put further restrictions on the validity of off-peak tickets.

"We recommend that the Regional Minister investigate the impact of these fares on the region and take up the issue with the Department for Transport and the train operating company."

Committee chairman Alison Seabeck said: "The South West needs a new direction in transport if it wants to be economically successful in the future."

The CFBT welcomed the report and particularly its criticism of the lack of transparency and scrutiny of some transport thinking.

It said: "There finally appears to be an understanding in the report about the poor public transport that the region experiences."

The group expressed concern that no recommendations of extra funding were put forward.

Watchdog group TravelWatch SouthWest called the report 'a burst of fresh air that will sweep through the fuggy offices inhabited by the transport planners.'

Chair Chris Irwin said: "This is an excellent report which should make transport a lot better for people throughout the south west, if Whitehall and the local authorities listen.

"The MPs have followed up on our advice in many ways - for example, they endorsed our criticism of astronomic fares, some of which are the highest in Europe."

The Strategic Leaders' Board, representing local authorities, and the South West Regional Development Agency said it welcomed the report.

But it said the document did not fully recognise the important role public transport was already playing or acknowledge the significance of historic underfunding.

Ian Piper, the RDA's Director of Development and Regeneration, said: "The report recognises that investment in adequate transport infrastructure is key to future regional prosperity. We agree with the committee's view that the region has to deliver more sustainable transport schemes more effectively. However, the level of funding available for transport projects and the willingness of Government to approve measures put forward by the South West will be critical factors in determining our ability to achieve this."