PASSENGERS and community leaders have slammed a decision not to include Cam and Dursley station in an important new half-hourly Bristol service.

The new service was launched on Monday as part of the West of England Combined Authority's MetroWest programme.

Trains between Bristol and Gloucester will now depart from Temple Meads every 30 minutes, stopping at Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Parkway, Yate and then Gloucester.

However, the new service will not stop in Cam or Dursley every 30 minutes but will instead continue to run every hour.

It has caused disappointment as Cam and Dursley is the closest station for commuters wanting to get to Bristol.

Great Western Railway has blamed the exclusion on timetable constraints and the new Charfield station which has recently received planning permission.

"It is disappointing"

MP Siobhan Baillie said: "I have been contacted by a few constituents who want more train services from Cam and Dursley station.

"I wrote to the Department for Transport and GWR asking if this could happen.

"However, the reply from GWR was that it was not possible due to the other new station stops.

"This is disappointing and I am investigating with my neighbouring MP Luke Hall what he did to get things moving for Yate.

"I understand he started campaigning for change back in 2015 so it took a long time.

"In the meantime there are no changes to Cam and Dursley services.

"There are still hourly trains throughout the day in both directions with some additional services towards Bristol in the morning peak."

Dursley county councillor Wendy Thomas said: "It is extremely disappointing that Cam and Dursley has been bypassed, literally, in the new timetable.

"I wrote to Siobhan Baillie and Gloucestershire County Council's integrated transport unit on April 21 to ask why this happened but I have had no response.

"Looking at the statement from GWR, I will again be asking both our MP and GCC to explain why Cam and Dursley could not have been included."

Gazette Series:

Great Western Railway statement 

A spokesperson for GWR said: "The current service level at Cam and Dursley remains the same in the upcoming timetable change.

"We are introducing additional services between Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester/Worcester at the timetable change, supported by funding from WECA and this will provide additional stops at Yate.

"WECA are also working with South Gloucestershire Council to progress the introduction of a new station at Charfield.

"Time in the timetable has been secured for hourly calls at Charfield. Unfortunately it is simply not possible to both offer additional calls to Cam and Dursley and call at Charfield.

"We did consider introducing extra Cam and Dursley calls before Charfield station was built.

"But this would then mean removing them again in the future, and taking out stops once they have become established causes more upheaval and disruption to customers.

"We will continue to monitor the position with WECA who are funding both the new station and the new services."