WILTSHIRE Council will spend £1.2m to improve the TransWilts railway line.

Councillors backed a motion at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, held in Salisbury, to support an increase in services from twice daily return routes to eight return routes, Mondays to Saturdays, starting on 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 grant to improve sustainable transport in Wiltshire and will run for three years.

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

Trains will stop at Trow-bridge, Melksham and Chipp-enham, with some also going to Southampton, Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Councillor Jon Hubbard said: “Real kudos must go to the officers and political team that have made this happen. We’ve got to make it work.”

A review of the service will take place after it launches.