TRAIN campaigners in Bedwyn have written to the Department of Transport in a last ditch attempt to save a direct service to London.

Steve Smith, of the Bedwyn Trains Passenger Group, wants the diesel turbo service and Paddington to be retained after electrification is introduced from Newbury in May 2017.

In a letter to the ministry he writes: "We understand that, following the introduction of electrification in May 2017, the best we can hope for is a restoration of our direct Paddington service from December 2018 using battery operated trains that charge under the wires and run, on battery, between Newbury and Bedwyn.

"We’d like the DfT to strongly consider plugging the interim gap, between May 2017 and December 2018, by retaining the current diesel turbo service between Bedwyn and Paddington."

Last week Mr Smith and other campaigners were disappointed when details of the new Great Western Franchise were announced last week and little had been done to help commuters from Bedwyn.

He had hoped that Bedwyn would keep its direct service using diesel trains or a pilot study on how the electric trains would be moved forward to co-incide with electrification.

But instead an email from Great Western to Mr Smith said: "There is no immediate solution to the loss of through services on the Bedwyn to Newbury corridor given electrification is not being extended.

"This means in May 2017 Bedwyn to London services will be replaced by Newbury to London electric trains and Bedwyn to Newbury diesel shuttles."

It went on to say that one direct service in each direction would be kept.

In his latest letter to the Department of Transport Mr Smith said changing trains will extend journey times, impact on family life and not be good for the economy.

He was also worried about the unreliability for passengers having to change at Newbury. He wrote: "Missed connections at Newbury are frequent. The timekeeping on this line can be very poor."

He said surveys done by his group showed that 84 per cent of users of Bedwyn, Kintbury and Hungerford stations planned to abandon these stations and instead drive to Newbury. He said: "This will have a major impact on parking and the Newbury road network."

Prospective Conservative candidate Claire Perry said she would be campaigning to bring forward the pilot study on the electric trains so there would not be a gap in the direct service. She has also pledged to fight for electrification to be extended beyond Newbury.

First Great Western said it was working on the feasibility study to introduce the electric trains by December 2018. A spokesman said: "We cannot guarantee the outcome of the study, but we think this is a practical option and will be doing our best to make it work.

"We will also continue to work with the DfT, Network Rail and local partners, like Wiltshire Council, the Swindon and Wiltshire LEP and the Bedwyn Rail Users Group on the business case for extending electrification beyond Newbury."