A disgruntled passenger has hit out at a rail company for what he claims was a lack of care when a train had to be halted due to a landslip.

Great Western Railway (GWR) services between Bristol and Weymouth were terminated at Yeovil Pen Mill due to a blockage following atrocious weather this week.

The rail company says it did its best to keep passengers updated and says taxis, and later bus replacement services, were arranged.

But Robert Holmes was left angered by his experience and claims the service was far from ideal for the Weymouth and Dorchester-bound passengers who had to abandon the train at Yeovil.

He claims they were 'left to their own devices'. He ended up calling a taxi himself and travelling with a few others towards Dorchester.

Mr Holmes, 57, of Piddletrenthide, was travelling home from a Madness concert in Cardiff on Tuesday when it was announced that the train would be terminating at Yeovil due to a landslide.

He said: “We got off the train and there was no bus, and we were left to our own devices.

“There were 17 passengers who were travelling to Dorchester and Weymouth and some of them were elderly.

“There was no help, or information and we had to make our own travel arrangements.

"One lady was very upset as she was desperate to get to Dorset County Hospital to visit a poorly relative.

“I was very angry at the terrible absence of any care, or consideration by Great Western Railway.”

He added: “The toilet on the train was out of order and Yeovil Pen Mill station was all locked up with no access to toilets or anything and it was freezing cold.

“Even if we had somewhere to go get a cup of tea and stay warm would have been ok.

“We had to book the taxis ourselves. We got two taxis between eight of us which cost a total of £120."

Mr Holmes said staff on the train were as ‘helpful as they could be’ as they tried to find out about alternative transport, but he felt it was ‘not good enough’ from GWR.

The company said it was aware of the passenger trying to get to DCH to visit a relative and that advice was offered to them.

A coach was also requested at each end to run via principal stations and that this was supplemented by taxi requests to serve smaller stations.

A GWR spokesperson said: "We are really sorry to hear of this customer's experience.

“Unfortunately, we had to terminate this train early due to a landslip affecting the railway line between Yeovil and Dorchester. 

"Taxis were ordered to take customers forward, however, should a customer have ordered their own we would be more than happy to consider a request for refund, both of the taxi fare and the delayed rail journey, and we would urge them to get in touch."