Furious passengers who turned to coach travel as a cheaper alternative to getting the train have slammed a firm for cutting services and changing timetables.

Chalkwell, based in Sittingbourne, was running five afternoon services from London to Maidstone but, over the course of a year, reduced them to three.

Just recently it altered times of services – and gave customers just one week’s notice.

Aimee Hall, 33, lives in West Malling and bought an annual season ticket to save money getting the train which carried an equivalent cost of £4,132 per year to London

She said: “At first they changed the morning timetable. They made the coach five minutes earlier which may not sound like much but it is when you have children and you need to arrange care, it really is.

Her afternoon service from Tower Hill is now 20 minutes later.

Ms Hall, mum to Ruby, 10, and Ronnie, seven, added: “We were only given a week’s notice and I have not been offered a full refund on my annual season ticket.”

Kerry Church forked out £2,380 on a season ticket last November but has been left furious after her service to Leybourne was altered meaning she had to seek a special arrangement to provide childcare for six-year-old son Benjamin.

She said: “I used to get on at Temple [London] but it was removed it from the timetable and so I have to walk to Cannon Street which is a 35 minute walk from my office in Holborn. It has been made 20 minutes later and my son is not happy – providing a week’s notice is not good enough.”

Roland Eglington, commercial director at Chalkwell, said the company had to run an economical service. He said: “We have had to reduce the number of our commuter coaches (Maidstone and Malling service) – we were running five and now have three. We had 15 people on a 49-seat coach which did not make it economically viable.”

“We have offered customers refunds in line with our terms and conditions and can, on a case by case basis, offer concessions.

“We are still providing a service and sometimes, from time to time, we have to make changes.”