CENTRAL Trains has denied a Malvern man's claims that a driver went through a red signal with his fingers crossed for luck on the same day as the Hatfield disaster.

Businessman Haydn Edwards was travelling on the Hereford to Birmingham train at the signal box just north of Worcester's Foregate Street station.

He claims he heard the driver say the signal was red but he was going to cross his fingers and go through.

"Suddenly the intercom came on and we heard the driver having a conversation with a women in a control centre," said Mr Edwards, of Court Road. "He didn't know we could hear him. He wasn't making a flippant comment to amuse the passengers."

Mr Edwards, who complained about the alleged incident on Tuesday, October 18, dubbed the service "appalling."

"It seems to be getting worse, without hearing messages like that," he added.

A Central Trains spokesman said the matter had been investigated and a Railtrack tape showed the driver did not go through any red signals.

"The driver had a red light showing on his dashboard which meant he was having trouble with one of his engines," the spokesman said. "His words were 'keep your fingers crossed I get to Worcester'."

He admitted the service was "very poor" at the moment but said volunteers were assessing the situation. Engineers had been called in to see why trains were breaking down so frequently and cleaning blitzes were being done.