TWO trains on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle route are to be axed despite pledges no cuts would occur, say the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line.

Vice president of FoSCL Pete Shaw said that the winter timetable, due to start on Monday, revealed that the 16.15 (4.15pm) Leeds-Settle-Carlisle and the 19.36 (7.36pm) Carlisle-Settle-Leeds services had been withdrawn.

"This is in direct contradiction to the Strategic Rail Authority's announcement made on July 1 which said the new Northern Rail franchise would provide the existing levels of service.

"It now seems that the current operator is going to cut the level of train services provided prior to the new franchise starting later in the autumn," said Mr Shaw.

The Friends are now lobbying the Department of Transport, the Strategic Rail Authority and the preferred bidder for the new franchise, Serco/Ned Railways, based in the Netherlands, to see if these trains can be reinstated at the next timetable change in December.

Mr Shaw added that it was not known whether other trains would disappear in due course as the framework of each railway had a minimum service they had to provide.

"We have no idea what plans lie ahead for the line, but hope the service can be reinstated before the new franchise takes over later in the year," he said.

A spokesman for the Strategic Rail Authority said: "These two services were introduced by Arriva Trains Northern, in addition to the SRA's franchise requirements, on a temporary basis for a period of one year. This period is now coming to a close.

"The services are not required to be re-introduced when the new Northern Rail franchise begins. However, the new franchise holder could introduce additional services such as these if it believed they were commercially viable."