RAIL operators say they have halted the decline in service which has been highlighted in a hard hitting report published by the Western England Rail Passengers Committee.

Christopher Irwin, chairman of the rail watchdog group, said there was even stronger evidence of a need for improvements than there was a year ago.

However that was refuted by a spokesman for Swindon-based First Great Western which provides the services on the two main lines through Wiltshire, the Bath-Chippenham-Swindon line and the Westbury-Pewsey line.

The FGW spokesman said latest surveys showed there had been a great improvement in services from when the statistics were taken for the report in the aftermath of the Hatfield crash, and all the delays that ensued as hundreds of miles of track were examined and replaced.

Mr Irwin said: "Rail passengers in the West Country suffered even more disruption and inconvenience in the first half of 2001-2002 than during the winter of 2000 when floods and Railtrack's emergency re-railing programme after the Hatfield crash decimated rail services.

"The tardy progress of re-railing with repeatedly missed deadlines for completion once again highlighted the poor state of the region's rail infrastructure and the lack of diversionary routes.

"Passengers woes were increased by First Great Western's over optimistic and unworkable summer timetable and by the replacement on journeys to the far south west of high speed trains by coaches hauled by 40- year-old diesel locomotives."

Mr Irwin referred to the investigation held by the RPC into growing concerns about the performance of First Great Western and the report of the inquiry, which was published in April. Criticisms voiced at the inquiry included statistics showing that between June 24 and July 21 last year barely half of FGW's trains turned up within ten minutes of their scheduled arrival. The RPC report said the FGW timetable last summer was regarded by others in the railway industry as unworkable.

The RPC report conceded that FGW had taken on board more than 50 key issues arising from the investigation on which it pledged action.

A FGW spokesman said the company was aware there had been problems arising from its timetabling, which had now been changed, and he said the arrival of a new fleet of Adlente trains replacing older rolling stock and locomotives would mean more trains arriving on time.

He said: "It is no secret that it was a difficult time for our customers last year but we have recovered from that to some extent and current statistics show the services are improving."

Spokesmen for both FGW and Thames Trains said many of the problems experienced were as a direct or indirect result of trains having to run on ageing lines, which Railtrack has been hard stretched to maintain.