Mid Cheshire Rail Users Association has been extremely disappointed by the performance of services on the Manchester-Northwich-Chester line since the summer timetable began.

The group claims there have been:

Large numbers of cancellations

Trains running late

Stations, especially Northwich, being partly or completely unstaffed

Less drivers and breakdowns due to unreliable stock.

Now the group is lobbying MPs and the Government department which regulates the privatised railway though the Office of Rail Franchising.

Mr Macfarlane, chairman of the association, said: "Passengers on the line deserve a far better quality of service and it is obvious to MCRUA that the present franchise is neither able or willing to provide such a high quality service."

And one commuter, John Beresford, who travels from Cuddington to Manchester every day is thinking of finding another way of getting to work.

"I have noticed a slight improvement - my train was actually on time two days last week," he said.

"My season ticket comes up for renewal soon and I'm reviewing the situation, but I think after 12 months I've had enough."

Last week, the Government's franchise office gave the country's 25 private rail companies just seven weeks to work out how to improve services.

But David Potter, of North Western Trains, defended his company's record.

"We think the MCRUA is being unfair to us," he said.

"There are eight services we offer and only one, reliability, is underachieving.

"We are disappointed that on reliability we have underachieved the standard both we and our customers expect.

"Our problem has been due to the shortage of train crews which we are now addressing. But it takes six months to train a driver. Things are getting better."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.