RAIL chiefs have introduced an extra mid-morning service to the busy Cotswold Line in response to passengers’ complaints.

Passengers from Charlbury and Hanborough complained to First Great Western (FGW) after the company replaced the 500-seat High Speed Train (HST), used on the daily 8.58am Great Malvern-London weekday service, with a 250-seat turbo train.

The passengers complained there was insufficient room aboard the turbo train, forcing many to stand all the way to Oxford.

At the time, FGW’s Thames Valley route director, Richard Rowland, said the change was to ensure services were operated by trains “which have the right level of accommodation for the number of passengers using them”.

The Cotswold Line Promotion Group, representing passengers on the Oxford-Worcester line, called for the HST’s reinstatement and launched a Turbo Watch campaign, asking its members to supply details of overcrowding problems on the smaller trains.

Rather than reinstate the HST, FGW has introduced the extra Turbo-operated train that will start its journey at Moreton at 9.29am before visiting Kingham at 9.37am, Charlbury at 9.52am and Oxford at 10.05am.

From Oxford, it will continue as a stopping service to London Paddington where it will arrive at 12.01pm, although an 11.13am London arrival will be made possible by changing trains at Didcot Parkway.

FGW’s spokesperson said: "Our customers are at the forefront of everything we do and the decision was made to introduce the extra service after listening to what they had to say.”