More than 4,000 extra seats a day will be available

First Great Western has increased services at peak times, including a new 0800 GMT departure from Swansea to London.

It is the biggest revamp in its service for more than a decade.

Rail groups have welcomed the changes but there are still worries about waits for connecting services off the main inter-city route.

The scheme is part of several changes in rail timetables across the UK, which will see the number of weekday passenger trains rise by 320 a day, bringing the total to 19,411.

First Great Western has said it will mean there will be regular half-hourly services from earlier in the morning to later in the evening.

We have been working on this timetable for three years and listened to our customers' requests Alison Forster, First Great Western

Departure times from Paddington will also change from on the hour and on the half-hour, so that trains will now leave at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour.

There will also be a new late night service leaving London Paddington at 2245 BST and the existing 1515 train from London to Cardiff Central will be extended to Swansea.

Alison Forster, managing director of First Great Western said: "We have been working on this timetable for three years and listened to our customers' requests.

"The new timetable addresses the demand for improved comfort, flexibility, frequency and less crowding at peak times.

"By working in partnership with our sister company in the Thames Valley, First Great Western Link, to create just one timetable, we can make effective use of this busy section of the line and offer a much improved service to customers travelling to and from south Wales."

Clive Williams, director of the Wales Rail Passenger Committee welcomed the changes, saying commuters and travellers living west of Cardiff will now be much better served.

"It means the half hourly service which has not been available previously will cater for passengers west of Cardiff," he said.

Bikes

There will also be a new 0800 departure from Swansea to London and in the evening a direct service leaving at 2030, two hours later than before.

"The challenge now is to get the message across to people in south Wales to use these extra services," said Mr Williams.

There was a 7.5% growth in passengers in the year to September 2003

But there could still be problems for passengers changing at Cardiff, Swansea and Shrewsbury to connecting services, with Arriva Trains Wales not due to bring in their new timetable until December 2005.

Gordon James of Friends of the Earth Cymru is a regular commuter between Cardiff and Carmarthen.

"I know people in west Wales who have stopped using the train because of the problems in getting a connection in Swansea," said Mr James.

"I find it quite incredible that the government allows the changing of one timetable by one company and then having to wait for the other in another 12 months time.

"The key message for transport is integration and this doesn't seem to be happening here."

Mr Williams said that Arriva Trains Wales were discussing with the assembly government about adding rolling stock, with the new standard pattern timetable due next year.

He said: "There has always been concern in Wales about connections. Wales depends on connections and depends on the meaningful cooperation between Arriva Trains Wales and First Great Western."