A NEW train service providing a direct link between this area and West Wales will make life more difficult for the majority of travellers, a cam­paigner claims.

Arriva Trains Wales changed the timetable to run an afternoon service from Gloucester through Chepstow, Caldicot and Lydney to Fishguard.

The company has replaced its 3.27pm service from Chepstow to Maesteg with a train to Pembrokeshire at 3.04pm.

Jim Jenkins, of the Better Trains 4 Chepstow campaign group, said it could cause confusion for travellers and lead to people missing their train.

The next train from Chepstow calling at Caldicot and Severn Tunnel Junction does not leave until 4.52pm.

Mr Jenkins said the move went away from "clock face departures" - where services run at a consistent point on the clock.

He said: "Passengers who have become accustomed to the usual clock-face departures will be badly disappointed upon arriving at Gloucester, Lydney, Chepstow or Caldicot to find their anticipated train left 23 minutes earlier.

"There are very few people travelling from Chepstow who go beyond Cardiff.

"This will improve services west of Cardiff at the expense of those through Chepstow and makes our objective of a basic hourly service for Chepstow more difficult to achieve."

Better Trains 4 Chepstow has welcomed news that the trial of more trains operated by CrossCountry Trains stopping in Chepstow is likely to be made permanent.

The company agreed to a year-long trial last May and there has been an increase in the number of passengers since then.

According to figures from CrossCountry there was an increase of 36 per cent in journeys to and from Birmingham, 10 per cent to Newport and Cheltenham, nine per cent to Cardiff and five per cent to Gloucester.

The company says it expected to get the go-ahead for the changes to the timetable next month.