RAIL passengers and MPs have welcomed news that a new deal with First Great Western will mean billions of pounds will be spent on train services through Chippenham over the next four years.

In what will be the largest train fleet upgrade in a generation, the company will introduce new Super Express trains with more seats and free wi-fi on the London Paddington to South Wales network from summer 2017.

The number of trains an hour running between London and Bristol via Chippenham will increase from two to three.

And services at peak times will have ten carriages, meaning 15 per cent more seats in standard class than high speed trains on the route today.

Rail passenger Michael Young, 28, who lives in Colerne and travels to London each week for meetings, said: "It is only a good thing, as long as they deliver.

"By the time you get to Reading it is just rammed. Sometimes people have to stand the whole way to London."

Liz Bennett, 45, who commutes daily from Chippenham to Filton, said: "Two trains are not enough in rush hour so there aren't enough seats. I get a train at 7.30am and try not to travel back until after 6pm so there's a seat."

But Charlotte Gardner, 23, of Pewsham, Chippenham, who travels to Bath for work, said: "It probably won't happen. I would rather see lower ticket prices."

From 2016/17, turnstiles will be installed at Chippenham Station so passengers will need to insert their ticket in order to leave the station.

The TransWilts service, which since 2013 has connected Swindon and Westbury via Chippenham, has received a boost – First Great Western will continue to operate it until the end of its contract, at least April 2019.

It will also be equipped with free wi-fi and from May 2017 there will be more seats when its single carriage is doubled to two.

Chippenham MP Duncan Hames said: “I had the great pleasure of joining commuters to celebrate the launch of the new service.

“I’m pleased that we’ve been able to persuade the Government and First to keep the new regular services we worked so hard to secure, and increase capacity so that many more people will be able to use them for years to come.”

Graham Ellis, of the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership, said: “I’m delighted that the new franchise secures the future of the TransWilts service.

“Without political support across the board and considerable help from our current Member of Parliament, I doubt that Melksham would have a usable train service today, let alone having one mapped out into the future.”

The upgrade was also welcomed by North Wiltshire MP James Gray, who said: “This is excellent news for all the people in Wiltshire who rely on our railways to get to work and get around day-to-day."