MPs and passenger groups claim East Lancashire has been overlooked in the £70 billion package to improve Britain's rail network.

They feel many of the plans, announced yesterday by the Strategic Rail Authority, focus too much on London and the South East to the detriment of the region.

The plans include enhancing the Blackburn to Manchester service by increasing capacity on Sundays and cutting the journey time.

The West Coast Main Line linking Preston to London will receive a fleet of 140mph tilting Pendolino trains by May 2003.

And the SRA'a plan proposed the new TransPennine Express franchise, which currently runs from Preston through Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley to Leeds, would be awarded later this year to start in early 2003.

Added to these improvements, trains and track will be upgraded, and stations will be made easier for disabled people to use.

There are also plans for a National Rail Academy to train staff.

The plans are dependant on £34 billion from the private sector which is yet to be raised -- the rest is public money.

Greg Challis, deputy secretary of the Rail Passengers' Committee North West (RPCNW) said the proposals would benefit passengers, but that a lot more needed to be done to get the infrastructure to an acceptable standard.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans also said the plans were inadequate.

He said: "It seems as if East Lancashire has been forgotten once again by the SRA.

"Everybody believes there should be investment in the infrastructure in rural areas as well as on major urban networks.

"But with a lot of this depending on money from the private sector I wonder if we will see any of it anyway."

Brian Grey, chairman of Railfuture North West, a group pressing for improvements to passenger and freight services, said: "There doesn't seem to be much for Lancashire and perhaps not as much as we would like for the North West as a whole.

"The SRA have been referred to as a 'London-centric' organisation, focusing on London. We would like to see them have an office in the north of England to be more aware of what is going on up here."

Richard Dyer, Rail Campaigner for Friends of the Earth, also said targets were too focused on London. He said: "Large-scale investment is clearly needed in London and the South East, but angry commuters in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and the rest of the country will be wondering what's in it for them."

But Darwen and Rossendale MP Janet Anderson led those praising the plans and said she was delighted with the proposed improvements to the Manchester to Blackburn to Clitheroe Service.

She said: "This is brilliant. It's very welcome but long overdue. The Manchester to Blackburn route is very very important in my constituency, going through Darwen and places like Entwistle."

And Bob Davies, chief executive of ARRIVA plc, which operates trains in East Lancashire, said: "The plan will bring about significant improvements to provide stability and the climate in which the industry can work to deliver the levels of service that customers expect and deserve."

John Armitt, Railtrack chief executive said: "Railtrack will play its part and we look forward to working in partnership with the SRA, the train operators, maintenance contractors and other key stakeholders in helping to make the plan a reality."