Wiltshire Council has agreed to spend £1.2million to improve the TransWilts rail line.

Councillors backed a motion at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting in Salisbury that will see services increase from twice daily return routes to eight return routes, Monday to Saturday, from December 8.

There will also be 11 single services running up and down the TransWilts line on Sundays.

The investment has come from a £4.2m government plan to improve sustainable transport in Wiltshire and will run for three years.

Wiltshire councillor John Thomson, cabinet member for highways, said: “This is really great news. It is really important that our town and parish councils emphasise the importance of using this service to the public.”

Along the line, the trains will stop at Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham, with some of the rail services also running to Southampton, Gloucester and Cheltenham.

A review of the service will take place after it is launched.