PASSENGERS could get back some axed North-East train services, with rail chiefs due to decide as soon as next month on possible improvements.

In May, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) cut the number of daily trains between Saltburn, Middlesbrough, Darlington and Newcastle from 19 to four.

The authority was accused of failing to consult properly over the change and has since bowed to pressure to consider alternatives.

A delegation from the SRA met local council transport planners and representatives from the North-East Rail Passengers Committee in Darlington.

The committee said talks were constructive and a decision would be made by the end of next month.

It hopes that some of the axed services may be reinstated or, at the least, some Virgin Cross Country services rerouted off the East Coast Main Line at York and run via Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool.

When it made the cuts, the SRA said the aim was to relieve bottlenecks for high-speed services on the East Coast Main Line.

But Fran Critchley, deputy secretary of the NERPC, said: "This explanation was a bit of a red herring as there has only been a marginal improvement in this direction.

"Due to pressure within the region from the Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit, the local authorities and ourselves, it has been forced to consult again."

Next May is thought to be a realistic prospect for the changes.

The SRA had been threatened with legal action and hundreds of passengers also signed petitions over the cuts.