A MULTI-MILLION pound train fleet destined for one of the North-East's busiest routes has hit the buffers even though it is yet to enter passenger service.

Passenger groups have criticised the £250m Desiro fleet claiming the trains are "not long enough" and don't have enough seats.

They say the 56 trains, being introduced by FGK on the TransPennine Express route, will do nothing to ease major congestion particularly at peak periods.

FGK, a consortium of First Group and Keolis which takes over TPE from Arriva Trains Northern next year, trumpeted the introduction of the brand new fleet on winning the franchise and says they will cut journey times by up to ten minutes.

Fran Critchley, deputy secretary of the North-East Railway Passengers Committee, said: "Our problem is that the new trains are just not long enough and that is a concern for us because we think we are going to see some chronic overcrowding continuing.

"We don't think they have predicted for the growth that has happened, particularly around Leeds, but then it is all a matter of cash."

The new 100mph trains will be of three coaches each and contain a total of 198 seats.

But Ms Critchley claimed this was not enough at busy times and said current operator Arriva runs five car trains on some peak time services. Ms Critchley added that the number of first class seats on each train -- 15 -- was also too few. Earlier this year The Northern Echo revealed how FGK, which takes over the franchise from February, will receive £637m in subsidies over the next eight years.

It plans to use existing Arriva Trains Northern class 158 trains up until December 2004.

The new trains will enter service in the summer of 2005 and be fully rolled out by the end of 2006.

FGK spokesman Robin Etherington admitted that the new trains would be a minimum of three coaches, but said they hoped to couple some together to make six car formations at peak times.

He said: "We will making TransPennine more efficient and providing more services and if we have an even spread of trains the risk of overcrowding will be reduced."

The Echo can reveal that from December 2004 Sunderland will no longer be part of the new TransPennine network in a move which has been prompted by the Strategic Rail Authority.

This will mean passengers from the city will have to travel from Newcastle in order to get to destinations such as Liverpool and Manchester airport.

On the plus side FGK says it will be doubling the number of trains from Newcastle to Manchester Airport to run almost hourly and there will also be more services from Middlesbrough to the North-West.