A suburban railway station is set to see more train services stopping at its platforms.

Southern is adding stops at Woolston for its Southampton to Brighton route from June.

The service between the two cities will also double in frequency to run every half an hour.

Southampton City Council has asked Great Western Railway to consider adding Woolston as a stop for trains on the Portsmouth to Cardiff route.

The push to increase services at Woolston comes as work begins later this month on a travel hub at the nearby Colonnade car park.

Once complete, the nine-week programme will deliver additional facilities for e-scooter and bike hire, electric vehicle charging and car-sharing spaces.

There will also be footway resurfacing and repairs and upgraded lighting in the subway which links the car park with the Grade II listed Woolston Railway Station.

Cllr Eamonn Keogh, cabinet member for environment and transport, told councillors: “The mobility hub will support the additional trains stopping at Woolston whereby the Brighton to Southampton service will become half-hourly from June.

“We have also approached Great Western Railways whether they would consider Woolston as a stopping station on the Portsmouth and Cardiff route and that would mean four trains stopping at Woolston.”

A spokesperson for Southern said doubling the frequency of services between Brighton and Southampton was to meet a recovery in demand and to encourage more people to choose rail travel over congested roads.

“Serving Woolston will take advantage of its bus connections with Southampton, and provide residents with new direct connections to Havant, Chichester and the West Sussex coast through to Brighton,” the spokesperson said.

“Together with other changes to Hampshire and Sussex services in June, these improvements will also allow passengers to enjoy a more convenient, reliable timetable.”

The only trains that currently serve Woolston are South Western Railway’s stopping route between Southampton and Portsmouth.