Passenger usage has doubled at a South Gloucestershire railway station, despite there being just two trains a week.

The number of people using Pilning Station has risen significantly, even though trains just run on a Saturday and only in one direction.

Figures released by the Office of Road and Rail show there were 478 passengers at the station in 2017/18, up from 230 last year and just 46 the year before.

Olga Taylor, Chair of Pilning Station Group, said: “This shows that people do want to travel to and from Pilning station, and that increasing numbers of them are determined to do so despite the obstacles put in their way.

“Public transport is very poor in our area - people desperately need better rail links, and many more people would use our station if it had a proper service like any other.

“Train operators like GWR keep urging people to travel with them for fun days out, so they clearly want more passengers - yet they flatly refuse to make even modest, easily-achievable improvements to our service, like reinstating the Saturday lunchtime train which they withdrew despite protests in January 2018.”

The group is campaigning for improvements to be made to the station, including reinstating platform lighting and a footbridge, demolished in 2016, to allow trains in both directions to stop there.

The group have even raised awareness by recording a cover version of John Lennon's Imagine.

Currently trains depart towards Bristol at 8.34am and 15.34pm. To return to Pilning passengers must go back past the station and change at Severn Tunnel Junction.

Olga added: “ In view of these latest figures, we now call upon GWR to stop being so negative towards us, and to look at this again for next summer’s timetable change.

GWR have been approached for comment.

The Pilning Station Group is hoping for a rush of people using the service before the end of March to help them exceed the number of passengers once again and strengthen their campaign.

More information about the campaign is available at pilningstation.uk.