EXTRA carriages on trains serving stations in the Bristol area have been put into use, easing pressure on a number of commuter services.

The additional capacity has been welcomed by South Gloucestershire Council, which had joined campaign groups and passengers in lobbying for more rolling stock on busy trains serving stations in the district.

People using Yate station are among those benefiting from the move by train operator First Great Western (FGW).

But the Friends of Yate Station have pledged to keep up the pressure for even more improvements, especially on evening commuter routes.

The council said successful lobbying of the Government to help fund the extra carriages had paid off, with 13 extra carriages making a difference to passengers travelling on several key services in its area.

In Yate, six trains stopping at the station on weekdays have more capacity, two of them stopping at Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol during the morning rush hour.

Services improved include the 6.40am Weymouth to Bristol Parkway train that stops at Temple Meads, Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road and Filton Abbey Wood, which now has four carriages instead of two.

The 6.47am Worcester to Weymouth train serves Yate, Bristol Parkway, Abbey Wood and Temple Meads, as does the 7.11am from Gloucester to Bath and Swindon. Both get one extra carriage. The 7.20am Severn Beach to Temple Meads now has three instead of two carriages, while the 7.28am from Taunton to Parkway has four.

Another commuter train, the 7.30am Cardiff to Portsmouth service, serving Abbey Wood and Temple Meads, has two more carriages, going up to five.

Councillor Brian Allinson, pictured, South Gloucestershire's transport chief, said: "The additional carriages are very much welcomed on South Gloucestershire services.

"We, along with campaign groups and the other West of England councils have been lobbying the Department for Transport to make more rolling stock available to FGW. This should ease the burden on our residents who use these busy services."