PEWSEY commuters have called on Wiltshire Council to support its bid to shake up train times and improve services from their station.

Campaigner Colin Gale went to the council's new leader to ask for backing in talks with Great Western Railways.

Mr Gale said: “There are students going to Bristol or Bath who have to go back on a Sunday night because there are not trains to get them to university in time for Monday morning.

"We have written to the councillor in charge of transport but we have not heard anything back about our survey.

"We need a survey to be conducted so that Great Western will consider improving the services from Pewsey and Bedwyn to Bath and Bristol.

"The chairman of Great Western has agreed to do this providing we can get the support of Wiltshire Council.

"At this point in time no support seems to have been given.”

Parking at both Bedwyn and Pewsey station was also raised by Mr Gale who said that trains and buses should be high on the council agenda due to its promise to react to climate change.

Cllr Whitehead committed to find out why there had been no response but said the unitary council had no budget to spend on train services.

A report published by the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) this week highlighted poor services from Pewsey and other Wiltshire stations, with slow average times and irregular services.

The report states: “With no stations between Westbury and Pewsey, the rural centre of the county is particularly poorly served.

"Whilst the east is served only by Pewsey (which has a relatively poor service) and Bedwyn, which whilst enjoying good access to London lacks effective connectivity to the rest of Wiltshire or the South West.”

Just 53 per cent of people live within five kilometres of a station in Wiltshire, compared to 83 per cent nationally.

The SWLEP suggested opening up stations at Wilton and Porton and launching an hourly service running through Bedwyn and Westbury to improve rail links.

What do you think of the rail services in Wiltshire? Let us know on julia.hijstek@newsquest.co.uk