SCORES of train carriages idling in British sidings should be brought back into service, a Huddersfield-based pressure group has argued.

The Association of Community-Rail Partnerships (ACORP) is calling for the unused stock to help relieve pressure on the nation's local and rural network.

"There's a lot of rolling stock lying around that would be suitable for certain types of routes," said Dr Paul Salveson, ACORP's general manager.

Their call follows Virgin Trains' move to replace old InterCity carriages with high-speed tilting units.

As the company introduced their Pendolino fleets, all their old carriages were mothballed.

The older carriages date from the 1980s but still have more than 15 years' use left in them.

Dr Paul Salveson said that while there was always a need for a new generation of trains, it was important not to scrap well-maintained and serviceable stock.

"Virgin have decided to invest in a new generation of InterCity trains and it's a big step forward for them.

"In the past, in British Rail days, the carriages would have been used on less important routes but now that's not happening."

While Arriva Trains have taken some, Dr Salveson has been to see the rest languishing in Ministry of Defence depots.

He said they had been very well looked after. Typically, carriages have a lifespan of about 30 years.

"We'd like to see these vehicles used in service on our regional networks, not dumped in sidings until they're ready for the scrapyard.

"They could be used as a stop-gap, to provide services on secondary routes where there aren't any proposals for new rolling stock."

ACORP also suggests looking at best practice on the continent to learn the lessons of Britain's European neighbours when it came to rural networks.

The Strategic Rail Authority, which sets the framework within which Network Rail and the train operators deliver their services, has recently published a consultation on rolling stock strategy.

"We think that the SRA must play a leading role in ensuring that the local and rural network gets good quality trains, to match developments on the more glamorous InterCity networks," said Dr Salveson. "The rural network must not be seen as the poor relation, so much as the little sister."

The group's development officer Neil Buxton said: "This doesn't mean `new trains now!' but it does mean a steady programme of good quality refurbishment and making best use of what we've got."

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