A SEVEN-year campaign to provide rail links between York and two of its suburbs today hit the buffers.

Council chiefs in York reacted with fury to an announcement by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) that it was suspending funding of plans to reopen rail stations at Haxby and Strensall.

The council said it was "shocked and disappointed" by the SRA's decision, which has shelved the scheme for the foreseeable future.

It comes only a month after staff in the council's transport planning unit were assured by SRA bosses that the scheme was secure from cuts.

City of York Council had joined with the SRA in a Rail Passenger Partnership Scheme (RPP) to fund the stations, which would have linked the suburbs with York Station.

The council is now hoping that further avenues can be explored to revive the plans, which would provide a vital transport link between York and its suburbs.

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, the council's executive member for transport, expressed her anger at the SRA's U-turn. She said: "I am very surprised and deeply disappointed by this news which has come only weeks after the SRA assured us that the funding for these types of rail projects was 'ring-fenced'.

"The SRA's decision seems to have been made regardless of the effect it has on delivering a local high-quality integrated transport system."

An SRA spokeswoman said the authority hoped the funding problem would only be temporary.

She said: "We hope to resume next year. These schemes have been suspended due to our budgetary constraints this year."

Liberal Democrat leader Coun Steve Galloway has pressed for the scheme to be implemented despite frequent delays.

He said: "I am absolutely appalled. We have been strung along for nearly seven years with promises of additional rail halts.

"If funding has been withdrawn it demonstrates once again that rail, in particular, is a surprisingly low priority for the present Government."

Ryedale MP John Greenway, who represents constituents in Strensall, said the news was a "huge setback".

"Although I personally was unhappy about the sites, the wider issue is that all the talk about investment in rail is just not happening. This is a huge setback for the efforts that are being made to try and deal with the problem of traffic in York."

Bill Woolley, the council's assistant director of environment and development services, said the loss of funding was undoubtedly a setback. "This decision came like a bolt out of the blue. There was no warning."

Updated: 16:11 Thursday, January 23, 2003