I have sent the following letter of complaint to Merseyrail's Customer Relations Department:-

I WISH to complain about the delay to my journey back to Bache, Chester, from Hoylake on the final day of The Open Golf Championship.

I was one of hundreds of passengers stuck underground behind a broken down train in Hamilton Square station, Birkenhead, between approximately 20.05 and 20.55. The conditions were extremely uncomfortable it was standing room only on that train and many people, including myself, felt faint in the stifling conditions.

Our train eventually pushed the broken-down train forward. However, there was total chaos about what would happen next. Passengers above ground were told there would be replacement buses to Chester and Liverpool, while below ground the information was that a train had left Moorfields for Chester eight minutes ago.

We were eventually told there would be no trains and a bus would arrive to take us to Chester. It was getting dark and lone women travellers were getting nervous. No-one told us where and when these buses would arrive and so we waited . . .

Eventually, we were told to walk across the centre of Birkenhead to Birkenhead Central Station not a walk I felt comfortable about as darkness descended and I had no real confidence in the information, but there was no choice offered.

A group of us arrived at Birkenhead Central at about 21.45 to be told a train to Chester had departed two minutes before and there had been no instruction to wait for any of us. The next train in the Chester direction arrived at 22.07, but only went as far as Rock Ferry. Here we had to disembark, change platforms and wait for a Chester train.

A Chester-bound train eventually arrived and I got to Bache at about 22.50 two hours and 15 minutes later than expected.

I then had to drive home to Wimbledon, London and instead of arriving home at the expected time of 00.30 (late, but not unreasonable), I arrived at the unearthly hour of 02.45. It was as quick driving from Chester to Wimbledon as it was from leaving the golf to arriving in Chester.

The lack of toilet facilities on your stations, or any attempt to help us out with this problem, made the situation even worse. I left The Open at 19.00 and, as none of your stations had toilets, the next one I found in my journey was at a service station on the A41 in Whitchurch more than four hours later.

Among the disgruntled passengers were many foreign tourists and they were aghast at how we were treated including having to walk through human filth on the stairs from the station platform to the surface at Hamilton Square. It did not make a good impression of a city that's soon to be the Capital of Culture.

I enclose my £3.80 ticket, but in view of the circumstances described above, I'm anticipating more than a full refund. I also simply can't believe there's no apology on your website for the treatment we had to endure.

Sue Choularton, Kingston Road, Wimbledon