'Rail needs investment or trains to Wakefield Kirkgate, Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley will suffer'

Government backing for rail is set to be reviewed in September, which could plunge the service into trouble if it was reduced.

Distancing measures have meant services requiring more space to carry fewer passengers.

Coun Kevin Swift, who sits on West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s transport committee, said as more passengers return that there may not be enough seats with social distancing measures in place and not enough tickets will be sold to make the services financially viable.

He said the problem would be at it worst on platform 17 at Leeds Station, which serves trains heading to stations in Pontefract, Castleford, Knottingley and Wakefield Kirkgate.

Guidelines would mean twice as many carriages would be required to safely transport the same numbers of people.

But the shorter length of the platform, he said, could mean additional carriages could not accommodated. He said: “There isn’t a good solution to the future that doesn’t involve a better level of government support for public transport.”