RAIL commuters have been hit with a double whammy by the Government, prompting fears that East Lancashire could be left with a 'third world' rail network.

First, plans to bid for cash to increase the frequency and safety of the Bolton to Clitheroe line hit the buffers after the Government said there would be no cash for Rail Passenger Partnerships for at least two years.

And then the Strategic Rail Authority said that money for investing in trans-Pennine services would be aimed at the routes which serve big cities and not East Lancashire, and warned that journey times would increase as a result - prompting fears of routes being cut altogether.

Instead, cash will be spent improving lines on detailed routes between Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Bradford, effectively ruling out improvements to the trans-Pennine route which passes through Blackburn, Burnley and Accrington.

That means that tracks will be replaced less often, with a warning issued that this will lead to longer journeys because trains will not be able to travel as fast on the tracks.

A government committee into the rail network had revealed the so-called Transpennine Express, which runs from Blackpool to via Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley to York, averages a speed of just 41mph en-route, and this speed cannot be improved until there is fresh investment in the line.

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But Strategic Rail Authority chairman Richard Bowker, educated at QEGS in Blackburn, said: "Let's target the places where investment gets us the best bang for the buck. This is not about cuts, this is about targeting money where it's best spent.

"We are not interested in any plan where there's a net deficit for the railways."

At the same time, hopes of improving the Clitheroe to Bolton line - part of which was only re-opened in the 1990s - have also been shown the red light.

Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council had been working on a joint bid to improve the line, by increasing security at stations - this is a particular problem at several rural Ribble Valley stations - and doubling the frequency of trains, so they ran every half an hour.

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "We had been confident that we would have been successful in our RPP bid because it is a popular line, but the Government has said no to any more money for at least two years."

Work at Ribble Valley stations, including Ramsgreave and Wilpshire, Whalley and Langho, has included the installation of panic buttons, funded by Lancashire County Council. The RPP bid would have helped fund CCTV, better information systems and other security measures.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "We will lobby the Government to get this funding. This is an important line and well-used."

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "There is no doubt East Lancashire will miss out because of this, and we will be left with a third world railway. The Government clobbers the driver for using the car, but what alternative do people have?"

Under the proposals presented by the SRA, the Blackpool-York route would be classed a 'minor secondary' route and could have spending on it cut by a half.

The Clitheroe-Bolton line would be considered a rural route and fall even lower down the pecking order for help.

The consultation document states that track replacement on these routes would be reduced and timetables altered to reflect the potential for longer journey times as a result.

A spokesman for Transport 2000, a campaigning group, said: "This is not good news for people who are using the railways other than those on the fast intercity routes."

And a spokesman for Rail Future, which campaigns for more investment, said: "We are concerned that slowing schedules and reducing track maintenance will, in fact, lead to the run-down of these services and make them less viable for the future."