There is "no realistic prospect" of more regular trains between Newcastle and Manchester being restored in the near future, northern leaders have been warned.
Only one direct train per hour currently runs in each direction between the major cities in the North East and North West of England, following a cut in 2023.
While a new rail timetable due to come into force in December will see LNER increase its Newcastle to London services from two to three per hour, hopes of boosting connections across the North remain very much on hold.
Members of Transport for the North's Rail North Committee were told on Monday that the Government has paused improvements that would have increased the capacity of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) north of York, allowing more passenger trains to travel on the congested route.
According to a report presented to the committee, the Department for Transport has said there is "no funding available to continue development" for the next four years.
It warned that until upgrades between Northallerton and Newcastle are carried out, alongside other improvements around York and at Darlington Station, there is "no realistic prospect of restoration of the second train per hour between Newcastle and Manchester".
Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon said that there was "gross dissatisfaction" about the situation and that the incoming timetable change was "about as welcome as the plague" for much of the North East, given that faster and more frequent journeys between Newcastle to London will be achieved through having fewer trains stop at stations including Darlington, Durham, Morpeth, and Berwick.
The Labour council leader added: "If I wanted to go to London, which by and large I don't, it would be a fabulous improvement in service for me, living in central Gateshead... I think you could put three, four, five trains an hour LNER [from Newcastle] to London and fill them. It is a cash cow. But the problem is insufficient capacity on the East Coast Main Line north of Northallerton."
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham criticised the decision to "massively prioritise" North-South travel over other inter-city routes.
He added: "The thing we have to object to as a committee is just the pausing of northern infrastructure schemes. That is, in many ways, the worst of all worlds for us, isn't it? Just left with nothing to say to communities.
"I think we have to press for clarity on timeframes and being given priority, because I think we are still in a position where the North is not getting the necessary prioritisation given how crucial a lot of these schemes are to our residents."
The committee agreed to write to the Government and urge that the upgrades are included as part of the promised Northern Powerhouse Rail project, an announcement on which is reportedly expected in the coming weeks.
Information published by the Treasury in July, following Rachel Reeves's Spending Review, confirmed that the works would be "kept under review".
It stated: "The York Area Capacity and performance project has been paused until the wider strategy for the ECML – aligned with Northern Powerhouse Rail aspirations – can be developed further. The benefits to passengers of the York scheme would only be realised as part of a wider package of investment on the East Coast Main Line, which seeks to increase capacity between York and Newcastle. This will be kept under review so that the scheme can be delivered in the most effective way in future."
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