PASSENGERS on an Alton-bound train staged a sit-in at Farnham station last Friday when the service was yet again terminated short of destination.

But, SWT assures, it was not about saving money but about getting the rail service back on time so as to inconvenience the fewest number of people possible.

According to Don Mackeggie, who was travelling back to Alton following a day out in London with his family, the 15.20 had departed 13 minutes late from Waterloo.

It was not until they arrived at Aldershot however that an announcement was made over the tannoy to tell people that the train would not run through to Alton but would terminate at Farnham.

The prospect of having to take a taxi or bus home or, alternatively, to wait on the platform for the next train, in the hope that it too would not be terminated, was too much to bear from some.

"There were around two dozen people on the train and one gentleman in particular put his foot down, refusing to get off," said Mr Mackeggie.

Egged on by his example the rest sat tight and waited for the outcome of frantic telephone conversations between station staff and SWT. Expecting to be turfed off by the police, they were stunned when 20 minutes later the train continued on its way to Alton with the same guard and driver.

Pleased to have won this round, passengers were left wondering what was going to happen to those on the train behind. Mr Mackeggie also queried why the train could not have continued on to Alton without the delay. "We would have been a little late at Alton but that would have been better for those waiting to board the train than having to wait an hour before the next one arrived," he said.

SWT has a different perspective. While acknowledging the frustration of passengers, according to spokesperson Jane Lee, trains are only ever terminated short of destination as a last resort.

She wanted to dispel the myth that the company did it to save money. "We not only get penalised for running late but for not calling at stations and for terminating short of destination," she pointed out.

"If the service is disrupted we have two choices, run everything late or take a decision to terminate a train short of destination and turn it round to get the service back on track. We have to look at the good of the greatest number at the expense of the few."

On Friday, according to SWT, the train was 17 minutes late arriving at Farnham. The decision was taken to terminate and return it to Waterloo because it was to form the 17.48 Waterloo to Alton which regularly carries around 700 passengers.

"This is one of the main commuter trains to Alton and it was felt better to ensure that it ran to time for the good of this large number of passengers who were, after all, due to travel on the same line," explained Ms Lee.

"It actually meant that everything on the Alton line ran late that day," said Ms Lee.

She assured that SWT managing director Andrew Haines was aware of the feeling among Alton passengers that they are getting "the rough end of the stick", and had promised to look into the matter.