Many companies have moved call centre operations overseas

Rail enquiries chief executive Chris Scoggins said the service could be improved if outsourced to India.

He said the move could also save rail firms up to �25m over several years.

But Amicus union said: "This attitude is an example of the idiocy of moving the inquiry service 10,000 miles away."

'Communities devastated'

Amicus has asked to see evidence from the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc) to back up the claims.

Union officials believe if National Rail Enquiries is moved overseas it could threaten more than 1,000 jobs at call centres in Newcastle, Cardiff, Derby and Plymouth.

An Amicus spokesman said: "The impact could be devastating - hurting most the same communities that suffered worst from the collapse of manufacturing."

Earlier this year Atoc, which awards the service contract, announced it would consider foreign bids.

Mr Scoggins made his controversial comments to MPs sitting on the House of Commons' transport committee, when he said Indian staff were more accurate and better motivated.

He confirmed a pilot programme for rail enquiries was already under way in Bangalore, involving 10 call centre employees.

No final decisions have yet been made about the new contracts in the tendering process, he said.

Labour costs

Unions have been battling against a tide of call-centre jobs being switched overseas, complaining about the loss of work in the UK.

Companies have been warned that their image suffers when they open call centres in other countries.

But many firms have been outsourcing jobs because of huge savings on labour costs.

Amicus is predicting that 200,000 call centre and back office processing jobs will leave the UK by the end of the decade.

A union spokesman said: "It is no wonder that the workers in this country are furious."