Additional train carriages to provide 12,000 extra seats

Date: 5/3/2012

Longer trains offering additional room for passengers are to be introduced from December 2013.

More than 12,000 extra seats will be provided on daily journeys into some of the UK's biggest cities when 80 new train carriages are launched on the First TransPennine Express and London Midland networks.

These expanded services will run to London, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Rail Minister Theresa Villiers said the government has listened to the concerns of commuters about overcrowding and believes the changes will help to stimulate economic growth.

"As rail travel becomes more popular operators must be able to meet growing demand and these new carriages will enable existing trains to be lengthened," she added.

By 2019, the government hopes to have provided an additional 2,700 carriages for the country's rail network.

Ms Villiers recently called for rail users in Essex to give their opinion on how train services in the area could be improved before the new Essex Thameside franchise is delivered in May 2013.

Posted by Mary Treen