POLL RESULTS: What improvements do readers want to see to our railways?

The government has promised passengers that the new operators will increase the number of services between Portsmouth and London, make the journey faster for commuters, and refurbish stations and trains.

Yesterday we asked readers what improvements they wanted to see the most, giving them seven options to choose from.

They could rank the improvements by giving any number of them a ‘vote’.

Readers have called for more train services and more seating for their journeys.
Picture: Paul Jacobs — Readers have called for more train services and more seating for their journeys. Picture: Paul Jacobs

Unsurprisingly for commuters, offering more frequent trains was the change readers were most keen on, with 33 votes.

There will be 35 additional services each weekday and Saturday between Portsmouth & Southsea and London Waterloo, including earlier first and later last trains between the two cities.

There were 22 votes for having extra seats on peak train seats - there will be more than 50,000 extra spaces on peak time services into and out of London - and 15 for giving cheaper options to season ticket options, including those travelling less than five days a week.

A total of 14 people said they would prioritise giving customers more free wifi on trains and in stations, and 10 opted for refurbished stations.

First MTR is also planning to change how season tickets are priced. Picture: Lauren Hurley/PA Wire

Propping up the list was offering more car parking (seven votes) and reducing energy use at stations (six votes).

The operators will oversee a £1.2 billion investment to help improve journeys for the millions of passengers who use the network.

Readers also had their say on the improvements on our Facebook page.

Lisa Baldock posted: ‘I won’t believe it until I see it, because it’s got to be accommodated into the timetables of other trains.’

Ravic Tailor said: ‘Can you drop the prices a bit? Shouldn’t cost £30+ for a one-way ticket to London.’

And Shaun Lovibond commented: ‘Platforms are only so long. So by adding additional carriages, won’t everyone have to funnel forward into the carriages that empty onto the platforms (like at Clapham Junction) causing further delays or overcrowding in those carriages.

‘Unless, they plan to make more seats by reducing the size of them, making the trains much more uncomfortable.’