A train operator’s delight at a 10% increase in passengers over the past year has raised questions about its links with other operators.

GNER which began operating East Coast services in April 1996 and has recently won an extension to its franchise reports that 16.6million people used its trains in 2004.

But rail campaigner John Davison who is a regular traveller to Lincolnshire has raised the awkward question of how many passengers other train operators have lost as a result of poor connections between their trains and the GNER main line trains.

He also believes other operators find it difficult to fit their trains in with GNER’s long-distance trains.

But John believes Central Trains services should in future be protected from adverse effects on the main line following the construction of the Allington chord.

John adds: “Some of the apparent growth could be illusory. Passengers may be choosing to buy separate tickets from various train operators as a way of reducing their overall fare. Hitherto they would have bought one through-ticket from the first station or local train crew encountered.”

GNER is paying £100million a year to the Government to run the East Coast main - which links London with Scotland as well as serving eastern England, the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside and the North East - for the next decade.

GNER said it had increased passenger numbers by 34% since it took over the service in 1996 and expected passenger numbers to rise by 30% over the next 10 years.

Chief executive Christopher Garnett said: "We are delighted that record numbers of passengers chose to travel with us last year.

"We have introduced significant improvements, such as wireless internet on rebuilt trains and new, permanently low fares, to make travelling by train more comfortable and affordable."

The firm said it planned to run more services between London and West Yorkshire and would continue to encourage more people to travel on off-peak trains where there was spare capacity.