A RAIL expert has leapt to the defence of under-fire operator GNER over its price structure.

MPs issued a damning report accusing the East Coast Main Line operator of chaotic ticketing and exorbitant charging, which they said was pricing out ordinary members of the public from railway travel.

It said passengers were being held to ransom by rail companies adopting a "see what they could get away" approach.

The report, by the all-party House of Commons Transport Committee, condemned GNER for failing to reveal details of inflation-busting price rises, announced only a week after it appeared at the inquiry, which was held in November.

GNER refuted many of the complaints, saying it was not asked about fare increases in the short time its officials appeared before the inquiry.

It said it always announced fare increases in December, and pointed out it must pay the Government £1.3bn during its ten-year licence, during which it can only make fixed profits of just under four per cent.

The all-party committee was last night accused of "unfairly castigating" GNER.

Alex Nelson, stationmaster at Chester-le-Street main line station and operator of Chester-le-Track ticketing company, said the price structure was a lot less complex now than when he began his business in 1999.

He said: "London is a hugely competitive market, and GNER uses market pricing to encourage passengers off the busiest trains and on to off-peak services.

"Since 1999, when I opened the booking office at Chester-le-Street station, the cheapest GNER return fare has reduced from £29, which had to be booked 14 days in advance, to £20 now, which can be booked until 6pm the day before travel.

"First class is now £59 return, which was unavailable seven years ago.

"Other destinations, to which fewer people travel, have far fewer fare choices available, often only two - a single and a return within a month.

"Doubtless, fares are cheaper in many other European countries. Yet those same countries are investing more in new lines and improved infrastructure than we are.

"The MPs ought to be concerning themselves with the next stage in the development of the railway."

Mr Nelson added that the 4p profit for each £1 taken was a small return compared to the 40p per £1 the company pays back to the Government.