Following discussions with the Department for Transport and Stagecoach Group, a new £50m package has been agreed with SWT, including the introduction of smart ticketing across the network, 57,000 additional seats and 73 new services.
A new website and mobile app will be introduced to make buying the best value tickets easier, with a new online booking system and an expansion of the smart ticketing programme to allow joined up journeys with London's bus and Tube network.
Steve Brine MP, who has long campaigned for local commuters, said: "This is a very welcome agreement, which means millions of pounds worth of passenger improvement initiatives will be introduced between now and February 2017.
"While I am very clear that issues such as Wi-Fi, which simply does not work reliably enough yet, and wider capacity problems to do with the routes through Clapham Junction into Waterloo, I am very pleased that passengers from Winchester & Chandler's Ford will not have to wait for a new franchise to benefit from these initiatives. It is also worth saying that taxpayers will now gain better value from public investment."
Chief Executive of the South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance, Tim Shoveller, added: "These exciting changes will deliver the biggest package of customer focused benefits for years. As well as the expansion of our smart ticketing scheme we are also introducing more staff to our concourses so that they are able to help passengers, face to face."
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Read about Steve's ASKSWT meeting here
More good news for Winchester Railway Station