As part of her continuing campaign to get more investment in the main line South West Trains services into Waterloo, Maria Miller chaired a further meeting of MPs representing constituencies along the Wessex Route. 

At their meeting in Parliament this week, MPs heard from Railways Minister Claire Perry, on the opportunities to secure improvements that will be coming up, including the re-franchising of the route and the process for deciding Network Rail’s long-term investment programme.

Maria said: “It is really important that Members of Parliament work together to ensure that passengers on the Wessex Route gets the improvements to the services that are so badly needed.”

“We need more faster, longer trains. I will be working together with my Parliamentary colleagues to campaign for more capacity on the trains, to tackle the extreme overcrowding at peak times. By 2043 trains through Basingstoke will need 60% more space because of new housing being built.”