Rail passengers in the district are being urged to lobby their MPs to ensure extra trains needed to ease overcrowding get delivered as promised.

The Wharfedale Rail Users’ Group (WRUG), which campaigns for improvements on the line that connects Leeds and Bradford with Ilkley, wants answers as to how many extra coaches will be provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) and when they will arrive.

Councillor Ryk Downes, chairman of Metro, expressed concern earlier this summer that the Government might “short-change” the Leeds City Region on new rail carriages by reneging on a commitment made by the DfT in 2007.

Peter Johnson, secretary of WRUG, said: “Pressure from Metro and Northern Rail seems to be having some effect; extra coaches will be coming, but when and how many? WRUG needs its users to press MPs for answers.

“And what of the extra coaches? When originally promised, it was hoped that these might be new purpose-built vehicles. Now it appears that they will be second-hand three-coach trains, at least 12 to 15 years old, predating our present Class 333 electric trains.

“As built they have smaller door openings and cramped vestibules, limited space with tip-up seats for pushchairs and bicycles, no automatic information systems nor air-conditioning. To meet current disability legislation they must be modified or be taken out of service by 2020.

“As far as WRUG can find out – discussions with the DfT are behind closed doors – the replacement trains, coupled together to form six coach trains, though with no access between the two halves, will operate all our present trains to Leeds, peak and off peak.

“We think Bradford trains will continue to run with the present trains, but nothing is certain.”

Mr Johnson said that to replace the existing trains with older, less comfortable and non-compliant vehicles was a “slap in the face” for passengers, who were still going to face higher than average fare increases to fund “new” vehicles for West Yorkshire.

WRUG has started the ball rolling by writing to MPs whose constituencies cover the route.