COMMUTERS have attacked Basingstoke's rail service - claiming they continually have to put up with overcrowded and delayed trains.

A survey carried out by local Liberal Democrats before Christmas found passengers had four main priorities:

more reliable trains

less overcrowding

cheaper fares

safer stations.

However, bosses at South West Trains have refuted the allegations and claim they are already well ahead of passenger demands.

Jen Smith, the prospective Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Basingstoke, helped to carry out the survey.

She claimed the majority of people travelling on the town's trains were unhappy with the service they use.

"Many local people endure, rather than enjoy, their train journeys," she said.

"Conditions for many travellers at rush hour are unpleasant, while non-rush hour travellers can feel insecure, particularly late at night."

However, there was some good news for South West Trains, which is owned by transport company Stagecoach.

More than 80 per cent of commuters surveyed found rail staff helpful and nearly 90 per cent believed Basingstoke station was reasonably clean.

But customers did flag up concerns over security, with 56 per cent calling for security guards on late-night trains and 36 per cent requesting more CCTV coverage at the station.

Miss Smith added: "We will ask Stagecoach to improve security by installing CCTV at the station and to look at the possibility of security guards for late-night trains.

"Passenger safety is important and Stagecoach needs to recognise that fear of crime is as important as crime itself."

A spokeswoman for South West Trains revealed the company has already moved to deal with some of the commuters' concerns.

She said: "Basingstoke station already benefits from wide CCTV coverage.

"There are 38 cameras that cover the platforms and station car park.

"That's a pretty high number for a station of Basingstoke's size.

"We have also got 58 travel safety officers who work across the network with the British Transport Police on issues such as anti-social behaviour."

South West Trains had hoped its new timetable, which was introduced after the survey, would crack the overcrowding and punctuality problems.

The spokeswoman added: "We've had some really stonking results with the new timetable where we're up towards 90 per cent for punctuality, where before we've been in the 70s."