A campaign to get customer care back on track at south Pembrokeshire’s busiest railway station has been launched by a concerned rail user.

Over the years, 60-year-old Peter Hill has seen Tenby’s train station lose its toilets and permanent staff. Now he says that it is in a state of ‘total and criminal neglect’ which is damaging to the reputation of the town, Arriva Trains Wales and Network Rail.

“The thin edge of the wedge is the self-service ticket machine which was installed in July 2013 and which I reckon is the most unreliable in the whole of the UK,” said Mr Hill. “It’s been out of order at some point almost every week since then, and it was the frustration of one particular gentleman last week who completely failed to collect very expensive tickets he had bought on line that made me realise I have got to push to get something done at the station.

“I don’t want to be a a one-man campaign, so I am calling on our elected representatives to join me in embarrassing the train companies into taking action.

“The buildings are scruffy, the track is like a jungle, and if it was not for a local volunteeer who sweeps the platform every day, it would be knee-deep in litter. The only thing that makes the station look cared for are the flower tubs done by Tenby in Bloom.

“"At the very least we need a toilet and a friendly face who can help passengers with any problems during the summer.

The station is owned by Network Rail and tenanted by Arriva Trains Wales (ATW), which operate the train services. Of the 245 stations in the ATW network, 55 have a residenet staff presence on most days of the week

A spokesperson for ATW told the Western Telegraph that the company was ‘very concerned’ to learn of Mr Hill’s comments

He added: “Tenby train station is an important destination for many of our customers and we do everything we can to keep it in good order. Similar to many service providers in the tourism industry, the significant seasonal highs that these facilities experience can occasionally mean that standards of presentation may be lower than we would wish.

“Going forward we will continue to work closely with our local partners, including Tenby Town Council and Network Rail, focusing attention on maintaining the station in a condition that is effective and pleasant for all our customers”.