ANGRY rail passengers are seeing red about a train firm which is still not running a new night service to Weymouth from London - despite pledging it a year ago.

Train users have criticised South West Trains (SWT), which runs services between the town and the capital, because a promised later service has not appeared in its winter timetable.

That means more misery for people who have campaigned for years to get a later train to Weymouth from Waterloo - currently the last one leaves the capital at 8.30pm.

Passengers believed there was light at the end of the tunnel last year when the rail and bus giant Stagecoach, which operates SWT, was announced by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) as its preferred bidder for the Weymouth-Waterloo line.

Stagecoach beat off stiff competition from two other companies for the franchise with a series of promised improvements, including new half-hourly services from the resort, more evening trains to and from London and a new 9.30pm service from the capital, which was due to start last month.

Rail users were angry when SWT, which has yet to sign the final franchise agreement, recently announced its new winter timetable and there was no sign of the new service.

Alex Bardswell, of Westhill Road, Weymouth, was annoyed when she saw the promised service was not included.

"People have complained about the poor evening services from London ever since SWT took over from British Rail.

"At the moment, you can't enjoy a night out in London or even Bournemouth because you simply can't get back," she said.

Ms Bardswell said there should be an even later train than the proposed 9.30pm service.

"There are a number of late-night trains which terminate at Bournemouth so I can't understand why they are not extended through to include Weymouth," she said.

SWT blamed "franchising issues" for the service not running but it hopes to introduce it next summer.

A spokeswoman for SWT commented: "We originally intended for the new service to be included in our winter timetable but unfortunately we are still negotiating our franchise bid with the SRA and that is a long and complex process."