A rail operator’s services were labelled “overcrowded”, “awful” and “terrible” at a meeting of influential West Yorkshire politicians this week.

The franchise for Cross Country, which currently runs fast services between Leeds, Wakefield and Sheffield, is due to expire next year.

The Department for Transport has been consulting on what the next franchise should look like, and whether it should include other services.

At a meeting of the committee on Friday, Wakefield councillor Kevin Swift said: “Top of the list of anyone’s concerns about Cross Country is the fact that the trains are too small.

“Most of the other issues can stem from the fact that they are too small and overcrowded.”

Under the current franchise, Cross Country currently runs one train per hour between Edinburgh and Plymouth serving York, Leeds, Wakefield and Sheffield; as well as one train per hour between Newcastle and Reading serving York, Doncaster and Sheffield.

Bradford councillor and board member Ian Greenwood told the meeting: “Anyone who’s ever travelled on the Cross Country line knows it’s like giving the rest of your life away.

“It’s an utterly, utterly awful experience. There is half as much capacity as there needs to be on massive chunks of it.

“When I travel to Bristol, for instance, I would rather go to London, and get the train there than use Cross Country. And that is a massive detriment to the economic activity in this part of the world, and it’s just shameful.

“It’s not something we can delay for two years, it’s something that needs addressing now.

“It probably needs double the number of trains. It’s just awful, terrible.”

Bids for operators to take on the service once the franchise has ended are expected to be received early next year, with a decision expected in October 2019.