RAIL company East Coast has been accused of discrimination after it began a trial of cheaper tickets at selected stations.

The move means that, for example, anyone wanting to travel first class to London Kings Cross can travel cheaper from Newcastle than Darlington – 35 miles nearer.

Businessman Patrick Green, 52, said he was “astonished”

to find that a return first-class ticket to London cost £368 from Darlington as opposed to £229 from Newcastle.

East Coast – which was taken back into public ownership last year – said it was trialling a cheaper off-peak version of its full first class anytime return ticket at three of the busiest stations on its route, Newcastle, York and Edinburgh, but not from Darlington.

The cheaper ticket is also available for travel from Durham, The Northern Echo has learnt.

East Coast said the trial could be extended to other stations on the East Coast line if the results were positive.

But Mr Green, who said he travelled to London at least twice a month, said: “Regardless of how they dress it up it currently costs more to travel first class from Darlington than it does from Newcastle – and also Durham.

“It defies logic as Darlington is closer to London.”

He added: “Is it right that a Government-run franchise is economically discriminating against our town?”

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman said: “It is unfair for East Coast to exclude passengers from Darlington when they introduce these type of offers however limited they may be.

“They should be available to everybody regardless of where they live.”

East Coast spokesman Paul Williams said the new offpeak first class fare came with a number of restrictions and could only be used on trains arriving in London at 10.05am or later, Monday to Friday.

He said its trial had been advertised and would continue until the end of the year.

He said: “We are making the tickets available from certain destinations, and not others, as a test case, so we can compare its performance in similar markets, and against similar products.

“We are monitoring the results, and if they are positive, it will be extended to other destinations on the route.”

Mr Williams added: “There is no question of East Coast discriminating against Darlington.

“The example highlighted is a temporary issue caused by a trial going on elsewhere on the route, in this case Newcastle.

“East Coast is fully committed to providing all our customers with a range of fares and the best journey experience possible.”

Guy Dangerfield, of watchdog group Passenger Focus, said: “This is an example not of simplifying the pricing structure but introducing anomalies which passengers will struggle to understand.”