Rail company directors have agreed to join angry commuters on overcrowded trains to see the impact of controversial cuts to rush hour services between Oxford and London.

Yesterday the Oxford Mail reported an Ox Rail Action members' invitation to First Great Western managing director Alison Forster to join them on one of their overcrowded services.

A First Great Western spokesman said Ms Forster could not fit an interview with the Oxford Mail into her schedule on Thursday or yesterday, but customer services director Glenda Lamont could.

When asked whether she would join commuters on a packed rail service Ms Lamont said: "I am more than happy to do that, I am happy to get on the train."

Susan Westlake, of Ox Rail Action, set up earlier this month to campaign against the cuts, said: "If the director of customer services will do it that's good because this is a customer issue."

New timetables meant the 6am, 6.45am, 6.58, and 7.25am trains from Oxford to Paddington were axed along with some evening services.

Commuters are now forced to catch the 6.38am, 7.05am or 7.44am trains which they say are always packed.

Miss Westlake said: "There are only three we can get to make sure we are in London before 9am and the 7.44 only gets in before 9am if it is on time."

A slower 7.23am service, which calls at all of the stations between Oxford and London is still in place, but adds 25 minutes to the journey time.

Some of the fast services stop at Radley and Didcot before Reading, Swindon and London.

Ms Lamont reiterated what a spokesman told the Mail yesterday, about timetable planners working to examine possible changes to alleviate overcrowding.

She said: "We have tried a couple of things as quick fixes. We have put trains with a greater capacity on some Oxford services.

"I know people are not happy about the services they are getting at the moment.

"I'm not saying we will be reinstating the 7.25am train, but we are trying to come up with a solution to give them a train that gets them into London at a time that suits them and hopefully will get them there in a bit more comfort."

Ms Lamont said the cuts to the services were made to fit timetable specifications laid down by the Dep- artment for Trans- port.

She said: "That involved a fairly major consultation with rail users groups, MPs, stake holders and local authorities.

"We got about 9,500 responses and made 200 changes to our timetables. There will have been people who have benefited from the changes and those who haven't benefited from the changes."