A RAIL passenger has complained about the lack of facilities for people waiting at Andover railway station in the early evening.

Andover resident Richard Kidd was a passenger on a train travelling from Andover to Basingstoke on Saturday, January 25 when it struck a tree blown over by gales.

After the train was checked it returned to Andover and passengers were told to wait until a replacement train arrived – but neither the waiting room or the toilets were available for the 40 passengers.

A spokesman for South West Trains said; “I’ve spoken to the station manager at Andover and it is her understanding that there weren’t any members of staff at Andover at that time who were able to unlock the toilets or waiting room.”

Mr Kidd said: “Staff who live and work in Andover could have been contacted so they could have opened up the waiting room and toilets. Indeed I seem to recall one Sunday some years ago when there were long delays, so they were able to do it then and they could have done it on the recent Saturday.”