Eurostar's failure to run direct services to Paris from cities such as York has been slated by MPs, who claimed that taxpayers were being "cheated."

Gwyneth Dunwoody, Labour chairman of the Transport Select Sub-Committee, protested that, despite spending £320 million on the project, direct regional services were still not running.

New trains had been "mothballed" and their book value written down to only £45 million. Drivers taken on for the new services had been offered voluntary severance.

York was promised a direct daily service to the Continent several years ago, but it has never materialised. The express train would have benefits both to North Yorkshire travellers - who could enjoy a straightforward journey of less than six hours to Paris - and to York's tourist industry, which might enjoy an increase in visitors from the Continent.

Opening a debate on the sub-committee's highly-critical report on the failure to provide regional Eurostar services, Mrs Dunwoody said: "We began by saying we believed we had been cheated."

MPs had been assured that the regions would be linked up when the Channel Tunnel Rail Act was proceeding through Parliament, but it had not happened.

"The House of Commons was given undertakings, spent the money and finished up with nothing to show for it."

The Government set up a review of plans for the regional services to Scotland, Wales and the English regions after the sub-committee's report was published in January.

Mrs Dunwoody said today that without the services the regions would lose out, adding: "We should surprise the taxpayer by producing the goods."

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