THE key hourly express rail service connecting East Lancashire with West Yorkshire will be retained and improved, according to the plans of one of the bidders aiming to run the service.

Nigel Patterson (pictured on Blackburn station), managing director of transport group Arriva, which owns the train operating company Northern Spirit, said the route from Blackpool through East Lancashire and over the Pennines was "fundamentally important."

Commuters and local councils are worried the express service could be lost when the new TransPennine Express rail franchise is granted next year. They fear the service calling at major towns along the way could be replaced with a slower local train service calling at all stops and doubling the journey time.

But Mr Patterson said if Arriva gets the franchise the hourly service would be retained and improved.

The frequency of trains would be increased, he added, and there would be better connections with mainline stations such as Preston, Manchester and Leeds.

Northern Spirit trains currently operate between Blackpool and Scarborough through Leeds, Burnley, Blackburn and Preston. More than two million passengers use the line each year. Arriva is one of the four operators bidding to run the franchise which is expected to be announced in the spring.

Mr Patterson said: "The route is seen as a regional rail service rather than an Inter City route. However it is a very important service. It's a vital link from West Yorkshire to East Lancashire. "The problem is the time from Leeds to Blackpool is quite long, serving a lot of smaller communities along the line, but the service is important to them." Mr Patterson said a decision was yet to be made by the shadow Strategic Rail Authority (sSRA) as to whether the East Lancashire route would be included in the Transpennine franchise or a new Northern franchise which will be up for grabs next year. The Northern franchise will include the Blackburn to Manchester line.

Mr Patterson said Arriva would be bidding for both franchises and pledged that if his company was successful it would retain the hourly service between Leeds and East Lancashire. "The sSRA will not allow that train service to be removed," he added.

Other bidders refused to comment on the detail of their plans for the franchise. A spokesman for Connex Transport said: "In due course we will be making an announcement of our plans." And a spokesman for Serco Rail said all the companies would consult with the local authorities and others concerned, but added: "We would prefer not to comment because it is still a commercial proposal." The other bidder ViaGTI, part of Thameslink, was not available for comment.