TRAIN services on a key North-East link will return to normal on Monday just weeks after cuts caused huge passenger protests.

Bosses at TransPennine Express reduced the number of daily trains between York and Middlesbrough from 16 to ten and from 13 to ten between York and Newcastle.

The temporary cuts - aimed at improving the reliability of the service - were blasted by passengers and branded a public relations disaster with some staff even admitting they had not been made aware of the change.

TransPennine Express blamed the reduction on the unreliability of ageing diesel units and the refusal of drivers to work rest days.

The dreaded "leaves on the line" are also understood to have been another explanation given.

Vernon Barker, managing director of TransPennine Express, said the firm had been working with train maintenance depots to improve train reliability and had also now secured an agreement with train drivers allowing them to work rest days if required.

He said: "The decision to run a reduced service was not taken lightly and we are sorry for the inconvenience that our passengers have experienced. "We are committed to reducing the number of delayed and cancelled trains and will be working hard to make further improvements."

Spokesman David Mallender said the train operator was having to use inherited 15 year-old plus rolling stock which was being "very intensively" used.

He said: "We can't solve this reliability problem overnight but we have made good progress in terms of trying to give the trains a decent amount of attention in the maintenance depots.

"We ordered new trains on the very first day we were able to, but it obviously takes a while for them to get built."

Mr Mallender said the company was not planning any further service reductions, but could give no cast iron guarantee on this.

He said it was also aiming to improve communication to make sure passengers were informed of any short notice changes.

The timetable change led to buses replacing some services and protests from passenger watchdog the North-East Rail Passengers Committee.

A total of 51 trains costing £250m has been ordered to replace the TransPennine fleet, but will not be ready for use until December 2006.