COMMUTERS who use one of Hampshire's busiest railway stations will bear the brunt of new timetable changes.

South West Trains (SWT) is planning to axe services and switch routes meaning passengers at Totton could face frustrating waits of up to 25 minutes while a train stands at a station.

Others will have a three-minute window to dash across the footbridge at Southampton Central station to catch a connecting train.

Evening rush hour trains from Totton to Southampton and Winchester are being cut from three an hour to just one.

Calmore resident Denis Fryer, who has commuted from Totton to London by train for 20 years, founded the South Hampshire Rail Users' Group in 1993.

Denis, a civil servant, is leading a campaign against the cuts.

The 63-year-old said: "It goes against the Government's climate change programme.

"Totton is a growing town and the station's usage at peak times is very busy. This is a huge backward step.

"Anyone who wants to get to New Milton or Christchurch will have to sit on the train for nearly an hour instead of half an hour - it's ridiculous."

New Forest East MP Julian Lewis has written to Stewart Palmer, managing director of SWT.

A SWT spokesman confirmed the changes would come into force in December. He said: "We were re-awarded the franchise in September and these changes formed part of our bid.

"The three-minute connection in Southampton is something we can look at, but the Totton to Romsey service is ending. We are simply delivering what the Government has asked us to."