A MALVERN woman is calling on fellow rail passengers to add their voices to a protest about the state of services locally.

Jackie Carey, of Jamaica Road, who struggles to travel to work in Hereford, is planning a rail user group and wants to hear from passengers who use the service between Hereford and Birming-ham.

Mrs Carey, who hopes to hold a public meeting, recruited 12 passengers on the platform at Mal-vern Link when the train was delayed on Wednesday morning.

Mrs Carey said she is particularly aggrieved that services are terminated before they reach their destination and says poor infrastructure, with a single line through the Colwall Tunnel, also causes delays.

"We pay the same fares as people in Surbiton but we don't get the same level of service," she said.

Hereford Art College student Chris Davey was 20 minutes late for an induction for his graphics project on Wednesday due to the 8.48am train being delayed and terminated at Ledbury, where a replacement bus was put on.

"It was only a 30-minute induction but it was vital for the next project," he said.

Vikki Holloway, of North Malvern Road, who works as a regional operations manager in Birming-ham three times a week, was keen to join the group. On Wednesday the 8.24am to Birmingham service was cancelled and she missed a meeting, eventually arriving at work at 11.15am.

"When the trains are late it's very stressful as I have to take work home with me. This impinges on my personal life as I get less time with my children," she said.

Central Trains spokesman Gerard Burgess said the company would listen to the passenger group's views.

He said cancellation statistics for the four weeks up to November 7 show 98.4 per cent of trains ran, with 1.6 per cent cancelled. This 1.6 per cent includes trains terminated early.

Mr Burgess added that two-thirds of delays were caused by infrastructure problems, which are the responsibility of Network Rail.

Anyone who wishes to join Mrs Carey's campaign can contact her on 01684 569641.