TRAVELLERS on Monday evening's 16.59 train service from Birmingham to Hereford are claiming a victory for passenger power.

"We were warned at Malvern Link that the train would be terminating at Malvern," said Marcus Allan from Ballards Close, Colwall, "but I said, 'I'm not getting off' and a number of others joined me."

"There were about 120 people, including schoolchildren, on the train. A lot of them got off at Great Malvern and went in search of the promised buses and the train crew went off to phone their control.

"After about 25 minutes, the guard got back on the train and announced that: 'due to passenger power, this train will now be going to Hereford.'"

A Central Trains spokesman insists, however, that the change of plan was an entirely operational decision.

"The crew phoned control on arriving at Great Malvern and were told that the train would carry on to Hereford. There is no mention in the log of any passenger action, "he said.

"Whether passengers staged a sit-in or not would have made no difference."

Mr Allan's account of the apparently successful passenger rebellion is confirmed by fellow passenger, Odette Levison, who got back on the train, having discovered there were no coaches.

Central Trains was unable to explain the lack of buses, saying only that they had been arranged for onward travel.