CAMPAIGNERS who want to breathe new life into a York railway line have hit out after Government chiefs announced a review of regional services.

Members of the Minsters' Rail Campaign (MRC) said the move was designed to scare local authorities away from rail transport and towards bus networks.

They want to reinstate a rail link between York and Beverley.

The group believes it will be popular, effective and offer a genuine alternative to the car.

Transport chiefs yesterday stated their aim of making local, low-frequency lines more viable by increasing passenger numbers while reducing costs.

They said local authorities must be "hard-headed" on the economic case surrounding decisions to reopen lines.

But MRC vice-chairman Phil Taylor said the review was designed to highlight the economic difficulties of reinstating rural lines.

He said: "The reality is that the Government agenda is to replace train services with buses.

"They have given more powers to local authorities, but the Government is hoping that they will see how expensive train services are and when it comes to spending the money, they will look elsewhere."

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling yesterday warned that "we can't be in the business of carting fresh air around the country" as he launched The Community Rail Development Strategy.

It has been drawn up by the Strategic Rail Authority and aims to raise the number of passengers for rural rail lines by increasing usage while reducing costs.

Community Rail Lines are lines with a speed limit of 75mph or less. They have a low frequency use, a single operator and are local or rural in character.

Up to 56 lines nationwide could be designated as Community Rail Lines, including the Esk Valley line between Middlesbrough and Whitby and the Penistone line from Sheffield to Huddersfield.

Mr Darling said: "I'm not interested in the sentiment of running the railways.

"We've got to be hard- headed about this.

"If we can get people using the railways, whether it is commuting or intercity or these lines where it might be possible to make a go of them, then we ought to give it every chance.

"There does come a point where, if a line is not working, it is not carrying people and its costs are not coming down, then of course you've got to look at that.

"We can't be in the business of carting fresh air around the country."

Strategic Rail Authority chairman David Quarmby said: "Too many empty seats are running up and down the Britain's branch lines safely and reliably...but expensively.

"This strategy charts a way both to grow income and to reduce costs.

"The prize is worth winning - a railway with a long-term future that contributes more to the local economy, as well as to meeting Government targets on accessibility, the environment and social exclusion."

Updated: 10:16 Tuesday, November 23, 2004