A TRAVEL company is being pursued by dozens of angry holidaymakers who want their money back after a scenic train excursion was cancelled.

Rail-Blue Charters owes thousands of pounds to people who booked seats on a trip from the North-East, through Yorkshire and along the Settle-Carlisle line to Cumbria.

The private excursion was due to take place on September 9. Tickets ranged from £69 to £179.

Advertisements placed in The Northern Echo throughout August were published in good faith.

However, a message posted on the company’s website several days beforehand advised that the trip had been cancelled because no kitchen car was available. Some passengers were sent forms to claim a refund, but no money was returned.

Others have heard nothing from the company, which is not answering phone calls or emails.

Elizabeth Smith, from Redworth, near Darlington, paid more than £500 for six first-class tickets.

She has rung, emailed and written to ask for her money back – but is yet to receive a response.

She said: “I feel bad because it was my idea and I suggested it to my friends who we were going with.”

David Jopling, from Middlestone Moor, Spennymoor, was bought tickets as a surprise by his wife, Moira.

He said he had repeatedly tried to contact the company, adding: “I’m angry about it and my wife is even more angry.”

Rail-Blue Charters and its parent company Cargo-D Ltd, are registered at an address in Haywards Heath, West Sussex.

A message on the company’s website states that all excursions for the remainder of the year have been cancelled because of the unavailability of the kitchen car.

Several unhappy passengers have contacted Darlington Borough and Durham County Council’s trading standards departments, which are advising customers to claim money back from their credit card company if possible.

West Sussex trading standards confirmed last night that it was aware of the issue and was “engaging with the trader”.

The company has run several trips this year which were advertised in The Northern Echo. It is believed these went ahead as planned.

The newspaper has written to the company demanding that readers’ money is returned.

The Northern Echo was unable to contact anyone from the travel company yesterday, including company bosses Dirk Ottermans and Ingrid Sluis, who did not answer their mobile phones or respond to messages.