The future of Yorkshire's railways was debated at a conference held in York.

The Regional Rail 2000 Conference, organised by the Yorkshire-based Transport Research and Information Network at the National Railway Museum, heard that the main thing passengers wanted was trains that ran on time.

The theme of the conference was investment and franchise replacement on the regional railways in the north. Jim Beale, chairman of the Rail Passengers' Committee for the North East, spoke about what passengers wanted from the new franchises.

He also highlighted problems with a shortage of rolling stock and passenger overcrowding. Mr Beale highlighted the fact that the amount of rolling stock was run down before privatisation, and the number of trains there were in 1991 and 1993 and the fact that there is a shortage of rolling stock and a problem with overcrowding."

Frances Critchley, deputy secretary for the committee, said most of their complaint calls were about late or cancelled trains.