DAVID Cameron is backing a campaign to help Worcestershire's much-criticised train services - by intervening over the dualling of the Cotswold Line.

The Prime Minister has helped this county's case by calling for the stretch between Charlbury in the Cotswolds and Oxford to be dualled.

The premier has written to Chancellor George Osborne and transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin to ask that the funds be committed before the end of this parliament in 2015.

The line, which is still single track, is a vital link from this county to London, with Mr Cameron's request bringing the prospect of better services closer to reality.

It follows intense efforts from MPs across Worcestershire, including Worcester MP Robin Walker who lobbied him personally at Chequers, the Prime Minister's country retreat, earlier this month.

Mr Walker said: "This is very good news indeed, to have the Prime Minister's support is very useful because clearly, if that stretch could be dualled it would mean better services from Worcester to London."

West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin said: "This is an important intervention by the Prime Minister, who does use the service and is aware of the problems rail commuters to London face every day.

"The dualling of the track would allow the service providers to run faster, more frequent and more reliable services which would be a massive boost to the local economy.

"These letters to the two people who can green light the project is great piece of news and I hope that it will lead to even better news in the future."

Journey times from Worcester to London vary from two hours 20 minutes right up to three hours or longer, and areas like Rugby and Warwick have similar services despite being further away.

People in Cardiff have better, quicker services than Worcestershire, mainly because the Cotswold line is a single track.

His intervention comes after Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) made a bid to the Government for £7.5 million to get Norton Parkway built, as your Worcester News revealed in April.