Rail commuters across Oxfordshire will get their first taste of new train timetables this weekend.

Train operator First Great Western (FGW) will be introducing the new timetable on Sunday ahead of the big test for commuters on Monday morning.

The company said more peak-time trains would help cope with the demands of passengers.

As reported in the Oxford Mail, the operator is also replacing its current Adelante trains, which seat 282 people, with 10 High Speed Trains seating 515 people.

The first will come into operation on Monday morning.

There will also be additional early morning trains from Banbury to London Paddington and more High Speed Train services stopping at Didcot Parkway - with a total of 21 trains arriving and departing before 10am.

Members of the Cotswold Line Promotion Group (CLPG) have voiced their frustration at what they see as constant delays in journeys.

Several trains will now be timetabled to wait for up to 16 minutes at stations en route between Oxford and Worcester.

A spokesman for FGW said: "This is down to the historic problem of the Reading bottleneck, and the current set-up is unable to handle the volume of trains travelling between Oxford and Reading, and Reading and London."

Also, the 5.51pm train from London to Worcester will leave London a minute earlier than at present, but leave Oxford at 6.55pm, nine minutes later than the current timetable and reach Worcester 17 minutes later than now.

CLPG chairman Derek Potter admitted, however: "You will only hear about the negative aspects of the new timetable changes, rather than the positives."

More details of the changes are at www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk We are keen to hear from anyone affected by the changes. Email nqonews@nqo.com or call our newsdesk on 01865 425500.