AN EXTRA 11,000 seats are now available on peak time London Waterloo train services, according to the company running the service.

South Western Railway says passengers have benefited since a new timetable was implemented in December while as part of the roll-out of new Class 707 trains, the last of which entered passenger service on Tuesday, existing train stock has been moved elsewhere on the network to boost overall capacity and increase the number of seats in service during peak hour travel.

Andy Mellors, managing director of South Western Railway, said: “The introduction of the new fleet of trains is really positive news for our passengers as they have unlocked capacity across other parts of the network and enabled us to add more seats through the morning and evening peak period at Waterloo.

“Introducing these trains has meant that we have been able to make use of existing stock in the best possible way and implement significant improvements. Passengers will have hopefully noticed the difference already - especially during peak hours.”

The capacity boost was made possible by Network Rail’s works to extend platforms and increase capacity at London Waterloo in August last year.

Becky Lumlock, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “It’s fantastic to see the benefits of our £800 million upgrade at Waterloo and across the route reaching passengers, with longer trains and more comfortable journeys.

“And there’s more to come, as we continue to redevelop the former Waterloo International Terminal to create a modern, high frequency commuter terminal by the end of this year."