A YORK rail passenger watchdog today criticised a major service review that could see key services axed.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is to call in consultants to see where money could be saved on services run by Northern Rail.

Northern holds the franchise to run trains from York to Leeds, Selby, Harrogate, Scarborough and Newcastle. As part of the terms of that deal, consultants will now look at the effects of higher fares.

They will also consider the possibility of running only peak-time trains or even closing lines, but any changes to services would not be brought in until 2006.

An authority spokesman said that the Northern Rail franchise agreement had always "specifically and publicly" stated that there would be a review of services, and it had always been known that consultants might be called in. The organisation denied reports that the review was "secret".

"The review is designed to take the opportunity to look at whether the taxpayer is getting value for money from the considerable subsidies which are paid," the spokesman said.

He added that any changes would only take place after full consultation with passenger groups, and that the final decision on any proposed changes would be taken by the Department for Transport, as the SRA is set to be abolished by the end of this year.

But Fran Critchley, of the York-based North East Rail Passengers Committee, said: "We are disappointed and we feel the money that is being spent on consultants to have a look at this could have been better used on promoting some of the lines in the area.

"This franchise has only been let about eight weeks ago, and senior sources in the industry were talking about maintaining the level of service.

"Now, from what we are seeing, something is not quite adding up."

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT rail union, said: "Commuters and rail workers right across the north of England have already suffered more than enough cuts in their rail services, and they will have no appetite for yet more cuts, 'bustitution' or massive fare increases.

"This nonsense comes barely three months after the SRA said that the new Northern franchise would 'deliver better service to passengers, and greater value', and would 'bring to an end any remaining uncertainty over the future shape of rail services in the north of England'."

Northern - a consortium of Serco and Nederland Railways - runs the rail services previously operated by Arriva Trains Northern and First North Western.

Updated: 08:34 Thursday, February 03, 2005