TRANSPORT workers demonstrated outside City of York Council's West Officers yesterday in their fight against cuts to rail services.

The RMT staged the demonstration while a public presentation was being given by Department for Transport officials talking about the changes to Transpennine Express and Northern Rail services around York, was being given inside the offices.

The union's Craig Johnstone said the union opposes changes which could come now TPE's franchise is due for renewal, and Northern's franchise.

A DfT prospectus for the renewed franchise show the Scarborough services could go to Northern Rail, and become local services serving only Scarborough and York and meaning the East Coast could lose its direct links further west to Manchester Airport.

New services could also bring in driver operated trains, threatening the jobs of train guards based at York's train crew hub, as well as customer experience and safety, he added