A COUPLE paying a pre-Christmas visit to their daughter in Kidderminster were among many passengers left stranded by the cancellation of West Midlands train services.

Donna Stevens, of Leawood Grove, said her parents, Maurice and Barbara Molloy, endured a long and frustrating journey back to Surrey after they failed to find satisfactory transport to make their connection to Birmingham.

The problem, which affected all Central-run services across the West Midlands on Sunday, December 18, happened as too few drivers wanted to work. They are not contracted to work on Sundays, with staff working voluntary overtime.

Mrs Stevens felt, however, that Central train representatives failed to explain the problem and lay on alternative transport. Her parents were forced to fork out £27 for a taxi as they had no way of making the 17-mile journey to the city's train station.

Mrs Stevens said: "It really was unsatisfactory. We went to Kidderminster and were told my parents would have to make their own way to Stourbridge and take a bus from there.

"The customer service was appalling and it put a real dampener on the weekend. My parents don't know the area and they were just left stranded. Many passengers were left in the same boat."

Central Trains spokeswoman, Rachel Webster, said the problem was down to a driver shortage.

She added: "The customer services department will look into individual cases and deal with complaints and compensation claims."