A FIRST Great Western worker won the hearts of customers at Worcester’s Foregate Street station.

Senior Conductor Frank Marseglia, who lives at Spetchley, received more than 40 praise comments from passengers in a company survey. This saw him go on to receive an award at the train operator’s annual Do You Know a Star? ceremony.

Earlier this year, First Great Western asked customers to nominate any member of staff they thought provided excellent service.

Mr Marseglia’s joined the rail industry a year ago after a career in the retail sector.

Customer comments about him included: “Frank is an all round top bloke. It’s always a pleasure to speak with him. He always puts a smile on my face and helps cheer me up when I’m down.”

Another customer said: “He helped me on the train with my two children and disabled mother and phoned ahead to Reading so we could be helped off the train and into a taxi.”

First Great Western’s managing director Mark Hopwood said: “We’ve come a long way over the last 18 months and moved from bottom to seventh out of 19 train operators in the rail industry performance league table.

“Eighty one per cent of customers are now pleased with the service we provide and this is down to all the fantastic people who work for us. Frank is just one example and I am delighted that he has received this accolade from our customers.”