COMPLAINTS against train company First Great Western have fallen.

The newly-released Rail Passengers' Council annual report says gripes about the Swindon-based train operator show a drop compared to last year.

First Great Western's director and general manager of commercial services, Elaine Holt, said: "We have worked hard to regain the confidence of customers after a year of unprecedented levels of engineering work and reduced punctuality, so the eight per cent fall in complaints is extremely pleasing."

The RPC report covers the year from April 2001 to March 2002, during which First Great Western and the rail industry experienced considerable difficulties. Since then First Great Western has continued with its programme to improve reliability and customer comfort on its existing fleet and has begun to introduce its new Adelante fleet.

Ms Holt continued: "We are not promising overnight change, but in the last year we have increased staffing levels, developed a more robust timetable and improved customer communication. One complaint is one too many and hopefully we will see complaint levels fall further."

Earlier this year a Strategic Rail Authority report revealed that First Great Western received fewer customer complaints than any other long distance high-speed operator per 100,000 journeys.