passengers are threatening another boycott of train services from Swindon only three months after calling a truce with train operator First Great Western.

This time, the commuters have the Government in their sights, saying travelling conditions have got 100 per cent worse since the Government put track company Railtrack into administration.

David Da Costa, chairman of the Swindon and Bath Commuters Group, has just been appointed chairman of a national passengers' protest group, and is hoping commuters across the country will join in a national day of action.

"Services are in an appalling state, yet the Government said putting Railtrack into administration was good for passengers," said Mr Da Costa .

"If that is the case, we want to know why things have got 100 per cent worse over the last couple of months."

Mr Da Costa was also at the head of a threatened boycott of Great Western services due to take place in October.

In July, passengers gave the firm 60 days to improve its services or risk a passengers' strike.

Around 1,000 Swindon commuters were expected to join the protest, but peace broke out between the two parties after Great Western announced a seven-point plan to improve its services in September.

The Swindon and Bath group has pledged to monitor how well Great Western keeps its promises, but Mr Da Costa said he did not blame the company for the latest bout of problems.

"Train companies are doing their best, but this time our battle is totally with the Government," he said.

"We have had enough. Plans to replace Railtrack are far too vague.

"Passengers are suffering from the worst-ever performance on the railways.

"At this rate, whoever takes over from Railtrack will be left with no infrastructure whatsoever."

The number of train delays caused by signal and track faults is said to have soared in recent months, and Great Western was last week forced to introduce an emergency timetable following a landslip near Shrivenham.

At the time, Railtrack said its engineers had caused the landslip, which blocked one of the two main lines to and from London, in trying to shore up a section of the line that was prone to slippage.

However, it later denied this, saying the landslip was an act of God.

But weary customers waiting for delayed services at Swindon station were uninterested in the reason for the delay.

"Landslip or not, the trains always let you down," said passenger Marilyn Mills, 58, from Liden.