Basingstoke MP Maria Miller held talks with South West Trains and Members of Parliament on the Wessex Route as part of her continuing campaign to secure the investment needed to tackle overcrowding on trains operating on the main line Wessex Route services into Waterloo.

Maria had invited Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of the South West Trains - Network Rail Alliance to a meeting in Parliament to brief MPs on the measures being considered to increase capacity on these services, which are the busiest in the country.

Maria said: “We need a coordinated approach by Members of Parliament working together to ensure that the Wessex Route gets the investment it needs.”

“There is already overcrowding at peak times and we need 20% more space on existing trains at peak time to cope. Passengers boarding at Basingstoke regularly face having to stand all the way to London. By 2043 trains through Basingstoke will need 60% more space because of new housing being built.”