RAIL campaigners today vowed to fight for improvements to East Lancashire's only express service.

The Rail Passenger Committee's move came after the Blackpool to Scarborough service -- known as the Roses Link -- was dropped from the new Transpennine franchise.

As a result, passengers will miss out on the £200million fleet of new trains the new operator First Group will introduce when it takes over within the next few months.

Campaigners want Rose Link trains -- which stop at Blackburn, Burnley and Accrington and links the area to Halifax, Leeds and York -- to be refurbished and dedicated timetables produced.

The Link is part of the new Northern franchise and operator Serco has already said it doesn't plan to spend any money on new trains.

Robin Sisson, communications co-odinator for the Rail Passenger Committee North-West, said: "It is very disappointing that the Roses Link hasn't made it into the Transpennine route, especially when you look at the investment planned in new trains on the routes they have.

"One of the main things we will be pushing for is that the route had refurbished trains dedicate to that service.

"We also want an assurance that the service isn't just run using the left-overs from all their other routes.

"It also needs dedicated timetables which set out which connections people can make using it. At the moment, we feel it is getting lost among other timetables on both sides of the Pennines. As East Lancashire travellers know, it is the best service they have and we are determined to ensure it is improved for the people using it."

A spokesman for FirstGroup said: "The Blackpool to Scarborough service is due to be transferred to Serco and we are currently operating it until they begin work later this year.

"As a result, none of our new rolling stock will be used on the route because it won't be used by us."

A spokesman for Serco, which is running the new Northern franchise in conjunction with Dutch rail operator NED, said: "Our priority is improving the reliability of services and not bringing in new trains."