RAIL passenger representatives last night launched an attack on both sides involved in a dispute that is crippling North-East train services.

The North-East Rail Passengers Committee said a pay dispute involving Arriva Trains Northern management, and rail unions had turned into a "war of attrition".

The committee said it wished to "wholly condemn" the failure to achieve a breakthrough by both sides which left passengers as the victims.

A series of strikes by conductors and office and retail staff working for the train operator have caused misery for thousands of commuters with no end in sight to the disruption.

In its annual report for 2001/2 the North-East RPC describes how:

* The pay dispute has caused huge damage to the region's economy from which it may not be able to recover

* The choice by the Rail Maritime and Transport union of Fridays and Saturdays for 48 hour walkouts has wrecked the leisure plans of thousands

* Passengers could have to make up the losses Arriva has suffered through higher fares.

The committee, which represents the interests of rail passengers, has so far been content to call from the sidelines for a resolution but has become increasingly frustrated by the impasse.

Retiring deputy chairman Robin Sisson said: "Passengers should not have to suffer this. They have also been treated to the unedifying spectacle of a barely concealed slanging match between Arriva management and various union spokesmen.

"They are the victims of a war of attrition which is wholly condemned."

The report reveals how the committee has logged 1,253 complaints from train passengers in the region in the last year.

Of these 736 - well over half of the overall total - were against Arriva Trains Northern, largely over the performance of its trains.