BROMSGROVE councillors have voted to stand united against CrossCountry Trains' controversial proposals to axe four long distance trains servicing the town’s new £24m Station.

CrossCountry, which currently provide daily services from Bromsgrove to Cardiff, Nottingham and Stansted, revealed the plans in a recently published document titled 'Cross Country Trains Future Timetable Consultation'.

The proposal would stop the 8.23am train from Cardiff to Nottingham, as well as the 7.47am service from Gloucester to Stansted Airport, which sees a total of around 30 passengers alight at Bromsgrove.

The 5.49pm train from Nottingham to Cardiff would also be cut, despite an average of 21 passengers alighting at Bromsgrove each day, as well as the 6.49pm service from Nottingham to Cardiff.

But Bromsgrove Rail User Group (BRUG) claim the proposed cuts will undo the recent work to improve Bromsgrove's station.

BRUG chairman Mike Ponsonby said: "They're planning to remove these stops on the basis that Bromsgrove will soon have an electrified railway, which, by this time next year, will have wires extended over the hill from Barnt Green to Bromsgrove. In April 2018 we'll have an electrified service into Birmingham and an additional three trains per hour, but CrossCountry is asking to delete these four stops, which will mean that Bromsgrove will have an inferior train service in the future.

"We've got a superior station in Bromsgrove now and we want a superior service to go with it."

Outraged by the plans, BRUG vice chairman Tony Woodward took the group's concerns to Bromsgrove district councillor Sean Shannon, who raised the matter as an 'item of urgent business' at the last full council meeting.

A motion was passed by council members for the council's CEO Kevin Dicks to write a letter of protest to CrossCountry objecting the proposed cuts.

Cllr Shannon said: "Plans to cut long distance rail travel options for Bromsgrove resident flies in the face of both BRUG and local councillors' campaigns to see an expansion of services from Bromsgrove, rather than a complete withdrawal.

“With the arrival of the new station, campaigners were hoping for extra southbound train services to Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bristol, Taunton, Exeter and even Plymouth. These trains already pass through Bromsgrove.

“Bromsgrove residents will benefit from the 2018 extension of the Cross City Line, which will offer frequent and longer trains to and across Birmingham, but to lose the current daily four long distance train would be a real tragedy. Bromsgrove needs more, not less CrossCountry trains to serve the community from our wonderful new station."

A spokesman for CrossCountry said: "We are currently consulting on possible changes to our services across England, Scotland and Wales. These would be delivered by making better use of all our available trains, concentrating our long distance services on the core network where demand is highest.

“As these changes are proposed for December 2017 they would complement the extended Cross City Line services at Bromsgrove, which will deliver a significantly enhanced service at this station, far above the proposed removal of four CrossCountry trains each day.

“The consultation is open until January 2 and we are asking interested people and organisations to submit their views on these possible changes."

The consultation document and information on how to respond can be found at crosscountrytrains.co.uk.