PASSENGERS were told a train with none of its toilets working would stop while they went to the loo at a station — only to see the loco pull away without them.

A tannoy announcement on the 2½-hour journey from Haverfordwest, West Wales, to Cardiff, told those in need to nip off at Carmarthen.

Half a dozen went to the two cubicles on the platform only for the loco to leave despite the promise it would wait.

The group included a girl of 15 on a day-trip with friends.

One stranded passenger said: “We heard a whistle being blown and the train pulled out of the station.

All the girl’s friends were on the train, along with our baggage.

“We managed to find an official who said he had not been told about the train waiting.”

The passengers on the 7.20am service last Sunday had travelled 31 miles and 40 minutes of their 100-mile journey.

The stranded girl’s pals waited at the next station, ten miles away in Ferryside.

The others rang the train operator and it was held at Swansea for the bags to be taken off.

They picked them up after catching the next train and went on with their journey.

The passenger said: “I did get to Cardiff but the day was ruined.

"The affair was disgraceful and thoroughly upsetting. In hindsight it was farcical.”

Another passenger said: “The toilets at Carmarthen are not the best.

"There are only two and they’re often locked.

"Normally you have to go searching for someone to get a key.

"It’s crazy none of the toilets on the train were working.

“There wasn’t even an explanation as to why.

"It was just the latest in a long list of problems on these trains.”

Arriva Trains Wales apologised last night.

A spokeswoman said: “We are sorry for the upset and inconvenience caused by this issue.

“We are carrying out a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the event and our customer relations team have been speaking to passengers directly.”

This week Arriva Trains Wales upset passengers by demanding a finder's fee to release a wallet left on their trains.