THE announcement of the winter timetables for train services affecting west Wiltshire has brought good news for commuters.

But rail campaigners are vowing to continue the fight to get better services running in to and out of the district.

From December 10, South West Trains will be running an extra service from Warminster, Westbury, Trowbridge and Bradford on Avon to London Waterloo, bringing the total number of services to three a day.

First Great Western has also announced an extra service from Swindon to Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury on Sundays.

Melksham businessman Graham Ellis, who started a petition on the 10 Downing Street website for better rail services in west Wiltshire, said: "The extra service is very significant in that it's being operated as a commercial venture by First Great Western and we are talking in detail with the company about a further step next year."

First Great Western has continually argued that it is for the government to decide if more trains are needed, as it is ministers who set the terms of the franchise it operates.

Mr Ellis shared a platform with the directors of FGW and Transport for London at the National Rail Future Conference in Ely near Cambridge last Saturday.

He has also set up a website with a forum for FGW's passengers in Wiltshire, which has had more than 450 messages posted on it since the beginning of November and 189 new topics started.

Roger Newman, of the West Wiltshire Rail Users Group, said: "We have got the service we campaigned for - we have two trains a day direct to Waterloo and this is a third train a day which is like the icing on the cake."

But Mr Newman said his group would continue to fight for more capacity, as many services between west Wiltshire and Bristol are over crowded.

He added: "First Great Western aren't doing very much. They say they are scouring the country for rolling stock, but at the same time they are giving more away."

For more information visit Save The Train's website on www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop