A rail passenger criticised Bristol City Council's transport chief, Councillor Mark Bradshaw, after he asked him not to send complaints about poor service on the Severn Beach line.

Mr Bradshaw told John Hall not to email him about problems with the council-subsidised service, which runs from Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach.

Mr Bradshaw said he did not need to hear passengers' complaints because he "maintains an overview of performance based on advice from officers".

He said Mr Hall should have made his complaint, about late-running trains, to rail company First Great Western because he said it regarded "operational issues".

But Mr Hall, 55, has refused to stop contacting Mr Bradshaw in the future, claiming the Labour councillor was not in a position to decline to hear about problems from his electors.

"I suggest that input from local electors on day-to-day experience is a valuable resource for councillors and I will be delighted to continue to provide it," he told Mr Bradshaw in his reply.

"You are the executive councillor responsible for transport and services on which the council is spending public money and are not in a position to decline to hear about problems.

"There is some concern that feedback through official channels does not accurately reflect the everyday experience of public transport users in Bristol."

Mr Hall, a translator, who lives in Stoke Bishop and uses Sea Mills railway station, told the Bristol Post: "It was a rather odd response. Councillors ought to be grateful for any feedback.

"You don't expect them to sort out every train that goes wrong but it's generally useful for them to be given a reasonable amount of detail about what's going on."

Mr Hall said there has been a steady improvement in the service since December last year – when staff shortages led to the cancellation of 27 train services on the Severn Beach line in a single week before Christmas – but said there was still some problems.

First Great Western started a new timetable, including more regular trains and Sunday services, in May.

The train company teamed up with Bristol City Council to improve services.

The partnership put in £587,000 to provide regular commuters and trippers with three trains every two hours on weekdays and Saturdays – which was a significant improvement on the previous hourly service.

The funding paid for 54 more round-trips a week for passengers and commuters using the popular line, which carries more than half a million passengers a year.

Mr Bradshaw said passenger numbers using the Severn Beach line had recently increased and that the council had worked hard with First Great Western to make sure services on the route improved.

"I was keen to be helpful in referring Mr Hall to the appropriate council officer, who can help him achieve a desirable outcome," he said.

"This is standard procedure when a member of the public writes to any councillor for assistance.

"We take line performance issues very seriously. Mr Hall has acknowledged improvements in the service that were based on the council's interventions on passengers' behalf.

"I am disappointed that he has chosen to focus on the method of our exchange rather than the success of some of the outcomes.

"Council officers work with the Severnside Community Rail Partnership in assessing overall service performance and in addressing specific concerns with the train operator.

"My understanding is that train passenger numbers have gone up by 30 per cent since the new services, including on Sundays, came into effect.

"This is very welcome news and I hope Mr Hall will share my view that this is a result of the investment and strong commitment to local rail services shown by this council," the Bristol City Council transport chief said.