RAIL campaigners have welcomed a new Sunday timetable that reintroduces morning services from Ledbury, Colwall and Malvern to Worcester and Birmingham after a break of more than 40 years.

With its new winter timetable starting on Sunday London Midland is launching an improved service of direct trains linking Hereford with Birmingham New Street.

At the moment there are only two direct trains from Hereford, through Ledbury and Colwall, to New Street on Sundays, with the first not starting until 3.30pm. But the new timetable includes six, with the first at 10.06 am.

From Great Malvern to New Street the number of direct trains goes up from four to six, with the first at 10.34am. And from Worcester Shrub Hill to New Street it goes up from five to nine, with the first train at 9.02am.

The Cotswold Line Promotions Group has welcomed the changes, which it describes as the biggest shakeup for Sunday morning services since the late 1960s.

Chairman John Ellis said: “We congratulate London Midland on introducing these new services which will transform travel opportunities on Sundays.

Mike Ledlie of Rail for Herefordshire said: “Why not join the first Sunday morning train for more than 40 years from Hereford to Worcester at 10.06am from Hereford Station (10.22am from Ledbury?”