RAIL chiefs were warned last night that "cutback after cutback" in services in the Tees Valley were seriously jeopardising the economic regeneration of the area.

The Tees Valley Joint Strategy Committee gave the warning to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) at a meeting in Darlington.

Group chairman David Lyonette said that, far from seeing improvements on the local network, the area was a "victim of policies which blatantly favour investment in mainline services".

The committee is furious at recent developments, which have included:

* A proposal to terminate at Darlington the vast majority of trains on the Saltburn-Middlesbrough-Darlington-Newcastle service;

* The ending of winter Sunday services on the Esk Valley line from September next year;

* The reduction from half-hourly to hourly services between Hartlepool and Sunderland/Newcastle.

The cutbacks are in contrast to the Tees Valley Rail Strategy, which calls for better quality trains, station improvements and new services including Hartlepool to York, Yarm to Nunthorpe and Middlesbrough to Newcastle.

Councillor Lyonette said the move to make passengers from Saltburn and Middlesbrough, travelling to Newcastle, change at Darlington was particularly likely to deter people from using the railways.

He said the group wanted recognition that quality rail links were vital to the regeneration of the region.

A spokesman for the SRA said: "We're absolutely adamant that there will be no compromise on safety or performance, but we do have to prioritise in terms of where we spend money. We do believe that the most intensive lines need more investment than the rural branch lines."