RAIL passengers will have their say on the future of a crucial East Lancashire route which faces the axe.

The Strategic Rail Authority is to start a consultation for the award of the TransPennine Express franchise after Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers endorsed the proposals.

The SRA has been developing the plans for 15 months. It hopes to ease congestion on the M62 corridor, which passes through Manchester and Leeds.

But it is feared the move would be at the expense of the crucial East Lancashire express route which links Burnley, Accrington and Blackburn with Preston and Leeds. This brings hundreds of business people and commuters to the towns, hourly every day.

When plans were revealed in December 2000, the SRA omitted the East Lancashire route from maps it sent to potential bidders, sparking alarm among MPs, councils and rail passengers.

They all pressed the SRA for its inclusion and claimed its loss would damage East Lancashire's economy as the line carried two million passengers each year.

Then it emerged the route could be altered to stop at smaller stations, a departure from its current express train status. It is still not clear how the route will be used.

But these decisions will be made over the next few months as the SRA moves on and starts a consultation process with passenger groups and the three shortlisted bidders, Arriva PLC, Connex Transport UK Ltd and First Group/Keolis SA.

Nigel Patterson, managing director of Arriva Plc, said the service would be retained and improved if they kept the franchise.

The other bidders are yet to reveal their plans, although Mr Byers said the government wanted the plan to serve major cities. He hoped smaller towns could be catered for, too.

He said: "There is clearly potential to develop a new TransPennine franchise that will deliver real benefits to passengers in the north.

"I am looking to the SRA to identify passengers' requirements for this new franchise, working closely with the PTEs which are responsible for many local services in the region, and with other local and regional stakeholders. A new TransPennine Express franchise could deliver such benefits."

"The franchise would serve the major regional centres - Manchester Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Hull, but I hope the SRA will be able to negotiate with bidders a basis for providing additional benefits more widely across the region."

Mike Grant, SRA chief executive, said: "We are pleased the minister has endorsed the TransPennine Express concept, which we have been developing since June, 2000.

"The franchise will deliver tangible benefits to travellers in the North of England, with fast and frequent services within the congested M62 corridor.

"We can now move forward to further refine the franchise proposition, following discussion with the government and the Passenger Transport Executives."

Arriva plc - which owns Northern Spirit - currently operates the route. By IAN SINGLETON