CHEAP North-East rail fares are a "myth" that should be dispelled, campaigners say as the Government proposes increasing tickets prices to pay for better services.

Train fares in the region are already comparable with other parts of the UK and putting up prices to pay for new rolling stock and more frequent services would be unfair, says rail user group Coastliners.

As part of a consultation exercise ahead of the refranchising of the Northern and TransPennine Express (TPE) services, the Government has asked users for their views on below-average fares being increased to pay for improvements.

But research by Coastliners, which represents rail passengers on the Durham coast, found that many journeys in the Tees Valley were no cheaper than those in the South-East and London.

Peter Walker, who carried out the study, said the South-East had received massive investment in schemes such as Thameslink and Crossrail - and North-East passengers deserved similar levels of funding without seeing substantial price rises.

"We often pay as much for our trains as do those in the Home Counties. It is time to end the double standards of funding so often seen in the years gone by."

Coastliners added in its official response to the Government consultation: "We as a user group would be grateful if this myth of lower fares in the North of England could be abandoned once and for all - it has little basis in fact."

The findings were supported by Martin Abrams, from the Campaign for Better Transport.

He said: "There are many myths about rail in the North of England which desperately need dispelling if passengers are to get a fair deal.

"The idea that northern passengers are getting better value for money than passengers in the south is one of these.

"Not only are standard fares very similar across the regions, but investment per head in the south is around twice that per head in the north."

In response, the Department for Transport said the consultation on the Northern and TPE franchises asked for views on how services could be improved and how this could be balanced with fares.

A spokeswoman added: "We are currently looking at the responses to that consultation. No decision will be taken without considering local views.

“We are very aware of passengers’ concerns over rail fares, and that is why the Chancellor announced a second year's freeze in real terms on regulated fares, as well as abolishing train operating companies' ability to flex prices on unregulated fares.”

The RMT has announced that it will hold an event in the House of Commons to lobby MPs on the Northern and TPE franchises.

The transport union said members and supporters from across the country would attend the event on November 4.