So now we know who was to blame.

When the furore exploded over train timetable cuts in Oxfordshire, First Great Western attempted to shift the blame on the Government, claiming the level of service was in line with the franchise agreement.

But now Rail Minister Tom Harris has made it clear that the Government played no part in the cuts, and has denounced the company's record as "frankly disastrous".

First Great Western has finally admitted that it got it badly wrong.

Managing director Alison Forster has accepted that they underestimated demand from passengers and removed too much capacity from the network.

It is an amazing admission from a company which lives or dies by the number of passengers it attracts.

It is supposed to be a professional outfit, run by professional people who understand the railways.

Long-suffering passengers must be questioning the suitability of the people in charge. It is a sorry tale of mismanagement.

As a result of protests, First Great Western was forced to reinstate some of the axed services, but there are still plenty of disgruntled passengers out there.

We suggest its staff look closely at the timetable and fill more cracks in its services before it loses even more public support.