PLANS are being drawn up to “modify” the North’s hated Pacer trains – despite David Cameron’s personal vow that the decrepit vehicles will be axed.

Rolling stock companies are carrying out the work because they believe the Government will fail on its pledge to replace the “cattle trucks” by the end of the decade.

The 2020 deadline is crucial because it is the date when the 30-year-old Pacers will fall foul of disability discrimination laws.

However, there are growing fears of a rolling stock crisis, because of delays to electrification schemes which are intended to release diesel trains for Northern routes.

Now the fresh plan to revamp the 30-year-old Pacers is revealed in a highly-critical report, by the Commons transport select committee, into rail investment.

One rolling stock company, Porterbrook, said it was spending “£800,000 to demonstrate that a Pacer train can be modified”, as a “back-stop” to the feared electrification delays.

And a second, Angel Trains, said it was considering having to “re-evaluate” its intention to replace its Pacers, in 2019.

Furthermore, the committee said, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin had pointedly refused to echo the prime minister’s firm pledge, made – to The Northern Echo – in November.

The report noted: “Instead, the Secretary of State could only say that he hoped the Pacers had had their day.”

Yet, in November, Mr Cameron said: “Bidders for the Northern franchise will be required to propose plans for the removal of Pacers. So those trains are going.”

The committee concluded: “We find it concerning that the rolling stock operating company Porterbrook is prepared to spend £800,000 refurbishing the Pacer to extend its use on our network.

“It is unacceptable that Pacer trains - built in the mid-1980s and of questionable safety - are still in use on busy rail lines.”

The Pacers are noisy, uncomfortable and fit poorly to the track, with slow acceleration and a need to brake early for station stops - making delays all-too common in autumn and winter.

Today’s report welcomed a “record level of funding for Network Rail for the five-year period from 2014–2019” - £38bn - but criticised:

* Plans to hike fares on Northern Rail and TransPennine Express routes to pay for improvements – criticising “trade-offs between fares and decent journeys”.

* A feared three-year delay to Trans-Pennine electrification, until 2021 – with the knock-on effect on the Pacers – which the department for transport (DfT) did not deny.

* The continued huge funding gap in rail spending-per-head between the North-East (£52), Yorkshire (£101) and London (£294).

* The “unacceptable failure” of Network Rail at Christmas, which left thousands of passengers stranded.

* That the Transport Secretary will “retain ultimate responsibility” for key rail decisions – despite promises of devolution to Northern leaders.

The report states that officers from the big cities were “forbidden by a confidentiality agreement from discussing the content of the meetings with the smaller authorities”.

North Yorkshire County Council is among authorities which have protested at being shut out of meetings between the DfT and the Rail North group, the MPs were told.