Thousands more seats will be available on rush hour trains running through Comet country from next week.

THOUSANDS more seats will be available on rush hour trains running through Comet country from next week.

From December 12 a new rail timetable will operate on First Capital Connect Great Northern trains with an additional 41 carriages on peak time services, promising seats for long-suffering commuters.

The company said between 750 and 2,000 extra seats will be available on rush hour trains at Arlesey, Baldock, Letchworth, Hitchin, Stevenage and Knebworth stations, as well as more services.

The longer trains are part of a Government initiative to improve capacity on routes in and out of London by transferring rolling stock from other operators.

The new timetable also includes slightly later services returning from London on Saturday nights to the areas’ stations.

Neal Lawson, FCC managing director, said: “We know our customers want and deserve a more comfortable journey to work. Our extra trains will give residents significant increases in capacity, especially at the busiest times of day.

“We will be adding additional services and strengthening existing services to eight and 12 carriages long, bringing thousands of extra seats from this December onwards.”

Commuters will however be paying more for their tickets from January 1. The rail company announced an average rise in fares by 5.5 per cent last week, as well as an 8.5 per cent increase in car park fees.