RAIL passengers across the region suffered more misery yesterday, when their hopes of early relief from overcrowded trains were dashed.

The number of extra carriages promised to train companies running local services across the North-East and North Yorkshire has been slashed in half, without explanation.

Northern Rail will receive a maximum of 106 carriages, instead of the 182 it was promised a year ago, according to information passed to MPs And TransPennine Express - which had been allocated 42 more coaches - has now been told to expect just 24, by the department for transport (Dft).

The two operators run services to Darlington, Durham City, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool, Redcar, Sunderland, Harrogate, Newton Aycliffe, Redcar, Northallerton, York and Scarborough.

The revelation that the badly-needed extra carriages will not be delivered triggered a furious reaction from MPs, who seized on it as further evidence that the North is losing out on rail investment.

Many are already angry that London is gaining the £16bn Crossrail project and the £5.5bn Thameslink improvement, while no major schemes go ahead anywhere in the North.

It will also hugely embarrass Gordon Brown who, just this week, claimed that a total of 1,300 carriages were already being delivered around the country.

Significantly, the claims were not denied by either of the rail companies, or by transport minister Chris Mole - who ducked the issue altogether in a Commons debate.

The 1,300 extra carriages were first promised more than a year ago, as a key plank of the Dft's £10bn strategy to expand the rail network.

Leading the debate, Angela Smith, a Labour MP in Sheffield, who said: "Overcrowding is becoming a real issue in the North of England. Some 60 per cent of all peak-hour arrivals on Northern Rail services carry standing passengers.

"The reduced offer is not acceptable and it suggests key questions. Why the reduction? We need answers quickly to that question."

That message was echoed by Graham Stringer, a Labour MP in Manchester, who said rail spending per head was now £783 in London - compared with just £206-per head in the North-East.

"The speed of many trains in the North of England system would have embarrassed Gladstone. They are slower than in the 1880s, which is extraordinary."

In response, Mr Mole failed to answer any questions about the number of extra carriages - despite being repeatedly urged to explain the situation.

Northern Rail said talks were continuing and that "no final decision has been reached", while TransPennine Express said "discussions are on-going at present."