Extra seats added to Thames Valley rail routes

Date: 22/11/2011

Improvements are to be made to rail services in the Thames Valley, Rail Minister Theresa Villiers has announced.

She revealed 4,500 additional seats will be provided on trains in and out of London Paddington on a daily basis.

These are some of the busiest rail routes in the country and the government hopes to make journeys more comfortable for passengers by tackling overcrowding.

Funding has been provided for 48 additional carriages on First Great Western services that run through the Thames Valley and Reading, as well as Bristol and the south-west of England.

It is hoped the changes will be in place before the beginning of the London 2012 Olympics.

"Adding carriages to some of the busiest routes in the country is a key part of the major programme of rail capacity expansion which we have promised to deliver," Ms Villiers stated.

This comes just after Network Rail revealed 41 platforms at 12 Midlands stations have now been lengthened, which will be able to accommodate longer trains and provide extra capacity.

Posted by Mary Treen