Avanti West Coast is one of several lines at risk of being nationalised due to poor service levels and passenger disruption, a minister has said.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy was asked about the potential nationalisation of Avanti West Coast as pressure grows on the Government to take action on the rail firm over its performance.

As i revealed on Wednesday, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has instructed lawyers to examine the new Avanti contract that was signed by the previous Tory Government before it was voted out of office.

The Government is concerned that the rail firm has been handed the running of the country’s flagship West Coast Main Line despite overseeing a poor record of service in recent years with ongoing delays and cancellations.

Asked about the i’s reporting, Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Sky News: “We don’t have a time frame. We’ve said that we do believe when contracts come up – and if the circumstances are right – that we do want to bring those lines into public ownership.

“We knocked on many doors and heard many complaints about our railways across the country and said that we will act and bring forward the legislation and the means to do that over the coming months.”

Asked if he had ever travelled on Avanti West Coast, the Foreign Secretary told Sky News he had used the service many times during the election.

Sky News presenter Kay Burley responded: “So you can see why I’m asking about it.”

Mr Lammy laughed and said: “I can see why you’re asking about it. There are a few other lines that are a problem as well. And so of course people will want us to work at pace.”

Ms Haigh summoned Avanti’s managing director Andy Mellor earlier this week to spell out the Government’s disappointment over the level of disruption suffered by passengers on the line.

Under new laws announced in the King’s Speech and expected to be introduced on Thursday, the Government will take rail lines under public ownership when the train operators’ contracts expire or if it is deemed that they are failing to meet certain performance measures.

The former transport secretary Mark Harper agreed a new contract with Avanti that will mean the misfiring train operator will continue to run services on the country’s main intercity line for a maximum of nine years, but after three years the Government can terminate the contract with three months’ notice.

As i revealed in March, the train operator was found to be cancelling around 26 trains a day, leaving passengers stranded or forced to use overcrowded services on a daily basis.

The operator runs trains between London Euston and Glasgow Central, with branches to Birmingham, North Wales, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh.