TORY MP Peter Luff wants talks with bosses at Central Trains after warning the company has a long way to go before the service is up to scratch.

The Mid Worcestershire MP wrote to managing director Nick Brown after holding a series of meetings with commuters and business leaders.

Mr Luff said he was happy the company's performance had improved since last autumn - when he asked Transport Secretary Alistair Darling to sort out the company's journeys "from hell".

But South Worcestershire Council of the Chamber of Commerce told him the continuing "poor"service was damaging the local economy.

At a meeting with constituents, he also heard their concerns at continuing delays. He now wants Mr Brown to meet commuters for talks.

Mr Luff said: "The good news is that they all felt the service had got better since the end of last year and on that you and your entire staff must be congratulated.

"The bad news is that they do still have some very real concerns and fears about the future.

"The first is a simple one that journey times have just got longer.

"It used to take 40 minutes to travel from Worcester to Birmingham and now it takes 50.

"Secondly, they are fearful of the autumn timetable changes in particular.

"Their experience of Central Trains timetable changes in the past have not been terribly encouraging and when these have coincided with bad weather and unreliable rolling stock in the Birmingham area we all know what the consequences have been.

"They therefore look for particular reassurance that this year's timetable changes will be handled with much greater sensitivity."

Mr Luff said there were also concerns about a lack of information for commuters, with broken signs at Five Ways. "A bizarre concern was that trains are often shown as being cancelled entirely when they are not," he added.

The MP wants Central Trains and Network Rail -- which operates the rail network -- to increase capacity between Worcester and Droitwich, and to increase flexibility of train movement at Worcester Foregate Street.