MANAGERS at train operator First Great Western (FGW) are going back to basics to try and improve the performance of their notoriously unreliable services on the Cotswold Line.

Two of the company's new senior managers met representatives from the Cotswold Line Promotion Group (CLPG) this week to look at the problems and possible solutions to the poor performance on the line from London Paddington to Worcester and Hereford.

The meeting came after the group, which aims to promote the use of rail travel, launched a stinging attack on the rail company over its failures - delayed trains, cancelled services and lack of accurate information for customers - on the Cotswold Line. CLPG chairman Derek Potter said: "What encouraged me was the honesty with which they acknowledged the problems. It was a revelation that they had taken such a fundamental line about going back to basics. I was impressed by the amount of thought they had already put into the problem."

He said FGW's new chief operating officer Andrew Haines and new performance director Mark Hopwood gave a frank and open assessment of the managerial and organisational changes that are needed to improve performance.

Mr Potter said that about 75 per cent of the Cotswold Line trains run within 10 minutes of their scheduled times but FGW should be able to improve that to more than 90 per cent with the current timetable.

He said one of the proposals was to use a goods loop at Oxford where passenger trains can wait - creating a passing place for trains running in opposite directions on the Cotswold line, which has large sections of single track.

Another proposal is to deploy more managers to work around the network.

Mr Potter said while the FGW managers showed an understanding of the problems and a real determination to improve services, this needs to be supported by actual improvements in performance and customer service.

A spokesman for FGW said: "It was an extremely useful meeting. We have a very good dialogue with the Cotswold Line Promotion Group and always welcome constructive criticism from customers and customer groups. We are working very hard with Network Rail to boost performance but there is no quick fix." He said that higher speeds being introduced this summer on the London to Reading section would have a beneficial knock on effect for Cotswold Line.