COMMUTERS and local councils today came together to plead with rail authorities not to axe a key express route through East Lancashire.

A new Transpennine Express franchise has been put out to tender -- but the map provided to the bidding companies does not include the crucial East Lancs commuter route.

It is feared the loss of the express service, which connects Yorkshire with Lancashire and includes Hebden Bridge, Burnley, Accrington and Blackburn before ending in Blackpool, would have a devastating effect on the regeneration of East Lancashire as companies turn to locations with better rail links. Commuters and local councils now fear if the express service, which runs hourly through most of the day, is lost they could be reduced to relying on a local train service stopping at all stations and doubling the journey time.

The shadow Strategic Rail Authority (sSRA) which offers franchises to companies such as Virgin to run train services is looking for bids to run the Transpennine Express, but commuters fear loss of the service could drive them back to their cars and have appeal to the government body to ensure the route is included in any new franchise deal.

Ribble Valley Conservative MP Nigel Evans said it was an "insult" and this was a case of East Lancashire "being forgotten". He called on the sSRA to look again at the service.

He said: "Losing the route would force existing businesses to use the roads more and would prevent other businesses coming to the area."

Blackburn with Darwen Council chiefs are so concerned they, along with Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council, are to meet with the sSRA next week. Graham Burgess, Blackburn with Darwen Council's executive director of regeneration, said losing the express service could have a "major" effect on Blackburn's efforts to regenerate the town, and the implications for all of East Lancashire's economy would be "significant".

He said: "The nonsense is this is happening just as we are getting a new station here in Blackburn."

And Phil Watson, chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "This rail service important for Blackburn because we are trying to stimulate office development in this town."

Mrs Alison Milner of Hebden Bridge, who uses the train three or four times a week to commute into Blackburn said it could "disastrous" for her and others if the service was stopped.

She said: "I use it for environmental reasons and also because it allows me to work during the journey. It's used extensively by business travellers and commuters."

She said a it was possible commuters would be "fobbed off" with a local train stopping at all stations which would take more than twice the current 35 minute journey, and this was not acceptable. She said the same journey by bus would require six different buses.

Tony Lubman, divisional director of Capita which is currently negotiating with the council to take over council services in a multimillion pound deal, said he was writing to the sSRA and the government's advisor on integrated transport policy.

He said: "We are going to make a significant investment in Blackburn and we are disappointed if at a time when the economy is going to get a boost we see the rail authority not respecting that it is essential there is investment in transport."

Juliette Sharman, spokeswoman for the sSRA, said she could understand people's concerns but said until the franchise bids had been examined it was not possible to say what services would be on offer.

She said the map showing some of the routes being advertised as part of the franchise was "not set in concrete" and added: "There is no question of people being worse off than they are currently."

She said: "We are looking for companies to come to us with innovative ideas." She said that was why the map did not include all the routes.

No date has been fixed for a decision on which company will eventually run the service, but an announcement is expected by March 2001.