AN investigation has been launched into the practice of charging East Lancashire rail passengers up to £50 for first class travel on trains with no first class seats.

Operator Virgin is charging for the service on trains leaving stations across East Lancashire even though there are no first class carriages on the connections from many local towns to the West Coast main line at Preston.

And passengers who have paid the premium rate find themselves sitting with rail users who have paid less than £5 for a standard fare for the same journey.

Trading standards bosses have now launched a probe to see if Sir Richard Branson's company is breaking pricing and trade description legislation.

Virgin is promising to review the situation, saying it was a 'rare anomaly'.

A first class return fare from Clitheroe to Carlisle costs £113 - and the same journey from Preston costs £61. It costs £112 to travel to Carlisle first class from Blackburn and £107 from Burnley.

But in each case there are no regular first class carriages. A standard return connection from Blackburn costs £4.05, from Burnley £7.60 and from Clitheroe £5.10. Similar discrepancies exist on trips from East Lancashire to other destinations, including London, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

David Butterworth, a Clitheroe-based member of the Rail Passenger Committee North West, said people were penalised by a complex fares system and added: "We have spoken to Virgin who have said they will do something about it.

"The difference in fare between East Lancashire and Preston for the service is amazing, before you even take into account that the trains don't have first class."

Brian Haworth, vice-chairman of Ribble Valley Rail, said: "We are working hard to try and get people to start longer journeys from Clitheroe but this sort of pricing will put people off.

"Under that system, it makes it cheaper for someone to drive from Clitheroe or wherever, to Preston, park there and then get on the train. That can't be right."

The ticketing arrangements put in place following the privatisation of the rail industry means train operators can offer fares to destinations that involve travelling on their trains as well as those of other firms.

That means Virgin sets the fares from destinations in East Lancashire, even though commuters have to use either First North Western or Transpennine services to get to Preston.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "This situation is short-changing the people of East Lancashire.

"To charge first class prices for trains which don't have first class is a nonsense."

A spokesman for Virgin Trains said anomalies have rarely arisen elsewhere in the past, and blamed complex fare arrangements for creating problems.

He said: "We don't seek to disadvantage any customers. Now it has been brought to our attention, we will investigate what is happening."

Jim Potts, chief trading standards officer, said: "There are two issues we intend to investigate.

"One is to see if any trade descriptions have been breached because people can fairly expect to be travelling first class if they are buying a first class ticket.

"Secondly, we will be looking at the pricing to see if charging extra for a journey in standard class is fair. It is a serious issue."