MORE than 1,000 rail commuters from Huntingdon and St Neots will no longer have to stand on trains in the morning peak from next Monday, December 13.

And 250 extra seats will be laid on to relieve weary legs on return journeys in the evening peak.

Train operator First Capital Connect, which added a total of 5,000 extra seats with the introduction of new carriages to its services 18 months go, has acquired 32 additional coaches that it says will add a total of up to 1,300 extra seats to services to and from Huntingdon, St Neots and Sandy through longer trains and an additional service.

First Capital Connect managing director Neal Lawson said: “We know our customers want and deserve a more comfortable journey to work. Our extra trains will give residents of Huntingdon, St Neots and Sandy up to 1,300 extra seats at the busiest times of day.

“We will be adding additional services and strengthening existing services to eight and 12 carriages from this December onwards.”

Several thousand people now commute by train to London each day from Huntingdonshire.

The extra train leaves Huntingdon at 6.40am, calling at St Neots at 6.48am.

In addition, the 5.26am service from Huntingdon to King’s Cross (5.34 am from St Neots) is lengthened from four carriages to eight, the 6.15am from Huntingdon (6.23 from St Neots) to King’s Cross will depart at 6.05am to improve performance, the 6.34am from Huntingdon (6.42 from St Neots) is ‘strengthened’ from eight carriages to 12, and the 8:31am (8.38) is lengthened from four carriages to eight.

In the evening peak, when there is overcrowding on the 6.10pm departure from King’s Cross, the 5.10 pm train from King’s Cross is lengthened from eight carriages to 12, changes to the 6.14pm King’s Cross-King’s Lynn service will help to reduce overcrowding on the 6.10 to Peterborough, and the 7.52pm departure from King’s Cross will be lengthened from four carriages to eight.

On Saturdays there will be: an additional 12.23 am King’s Cross to Peterborough service for late-night revellers, and the 12.36am King’s Cross to Peterborough train will be re-timed to leave at 12.53am to provide an even later train home.

On Sundays, from this coming weekend, December 12, there will be an additional fast service to King’s Cross from Huntingdon at 10.28am, calling at St Neots at 10.35.