COMMUTERS in west Wiltshire are facing cuts in train services from December next year. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has announced that trains running from Westbury and Melksham will be affected.

This is due to a new train company combining Great Western Trains, Wessex Trains and Great Western Link that will be introduced.

All the daytime trains running through Melksham will be cut, as well as major cuts in the trains between Paddington and Westbury. Although the trains will continue to run through the stations they will not stop.

West Wiltshire County Council says it will be writing to the SRA to object to the cuts.

Fleur de Rhe-Philipe, the cabinet member for highways, transport and economic development said: "We are writing to the strategic rail authority in fairly robust terms saying this is not on. We are also asking the public to write to them and to put their views to Alistair Darling, the transport minister.

"Train travel is increasing and the Government is telling us all to use public transport more because of road congestion and global warming. So it is extraordinary that the SRA, which is a government agency, seems to be planning to cut the trains we are supposed to use."

The SRA is due to wind down over the next few months and the three shortlisted bidders to take over the Great Western franchise, National Express group, First Group and Stagecoach were asked to draw up proposals for reductions in train services.

These were published by the SRA in the Greater Western franchise stakeholder consultation document.

On hearing about the cuts, Melksham mayor Margaret White said: "I am appalled about the cuts to services in Melksham. They say the service does not have enough passengers but before they announced the cuts they changed the times of the trains so they were not convenient to many passengers."

Members of Westbury Town Council were similarly dismayed at the idea of any reductions to the direct Paddington train.

Cllr Gordon King said in a meeting on Monday: "We should write to the MP suggesting he gets together with other local mps for a sufficiently robust lobbying group to fight our corner. The Government should be investing in services, not reducing them."