Kim Howells, the outspoken transport minister, has launched a strong attack on Britain's army of trainspotters.

Speaking yesterday at a Fabian Society seminar, Howells said: "There are 150,000 people employed in the rail industry and at least 200,000 registered trainspotters, and they have enormous influence on transport policy.

"Rail use accounts for only seven per cent of transport but 95 per cent of transport politics."

He also sympathised with millions of car drivers who rarely catch trains but see far more of their taxes spent on rail than on roads.

"We put huge amounts of money into railways but the tax is taken from people who mostly never travel on railways," he said.