TRAIN boss Neal Lawson and other First Capital Connect bosses met commuters at St Albans City Station this evening to hear their concerns and criticisms.

Mr Lawson, who has been managing director for just three weeks, heard complaints about overcrowding, delays and cancellations, but also answered questions about tickets, train scheduling and unstaffed booking offices.

Simon Sarmiento, of Rodney Avenue, St Albans, demanded: "When there is an emergency like in the snow why don't the express trains from the Midlands stop here?

"Under British Rail that always happened and the express trains were still nearly always on time.

"Why don't you talk to their managing director and get some co-operation going?"

Mr Lawson said he would take up the suggestion, as a similar arrangement was already in place for the southern part of the network.

He told the Review: "I have been hearing a lot about passenger' experiences, which in some cases have been terrible.

"The three months up to reintroduction of the full timetable on January 18 were very difficult for us, thanks to a combination of the weather, the late delivery of new trains, and the drivers' pay dispute.

"Clearly we have to do better."

Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington said: "Recently the service has been appalling.

"It is time the Government stepped in and did something about it, but they won't because these guys are paying them so much money for the franchise.

"It is not just in St Albans where there have been serious problems, but down the route from Wimbledon all the way to Brighton."

First Capital Connect spokesman Gareth Beazant said: "We have had a signalling problem today, but the last few weeks have gone well.

"Wednesday was the first for five or six days when punctuality fell below 90 per cent."

He said late delivery of the new class 377 trains had prevented a planned upgrade of the older 319 units, and consequently many had failed in the cold weather.

He said: "The repairs should be finished next week, and then we will be back to full length trains again."

St Albans MP Anne Main said: "It is true there have been some recent improvements, but it has to go a lot further.

"It is not just train performance. They have to get better at providing information to passengers, and provide better compensation for season ticket holders."

Tom Joyner, the company's operations manager, confirmed he was worried about delays to the Thameslink upgrade hinted at by the Government in a Parliamentary debate on Wednesday.

He said: "It has been confirmed today. It looks like it is slipping back to December 2016.

"All our planning has been for 2015 - it is something that urgently needs to be clarified by the Department of Transport."