TRANSPORT Secretary Ruth Kelly yesterday threatened to strip First Great Western of its West Country rail franchise if services do not improve.

As MPs voiced their anger over the rail company's performance, Ms Kelly urged managers to "get a grip".

She said First Great Western is being put "on notice" to improve services, which have been "unacceptable for far too long".

At Commons Question Time, Ms Kelly said the company recorded the highest level of passenger dissatisfaction in a survey last autumn.

North Wiltshire MP James Gray recalled how train services from Paddington to the West Country and Wales used to be called "the Great Western Railway or even God's Wonderful Railway", but now it is known as "Worst Great Western".

Pointing to "shortened trains, late trains, cancelled trains, terrible catering, terrible passenger information services and the highest price per mile of any transport system in the western world," he said it is time to re-examine why the company was given the franchise in the first place.

Ms Kelly said: "I certainly agree their performance has been unacceptable for far too long."

She said a package of improvements announced last month includes a doubling of compensation for disrupted service, new rolling stock and more cheap tickets.