VILLAGERS at Shawford are optimistic that they are winning their campaign to fight cuts to train services at their local station.

South West Trains slashed the number of trains stopping at Shawford Station, pictured, by 25 per cent last winter.

It prompted the Shawford Rail Users' Group to lobby the company, the regulators and politicians.

Terry Hopkins, of the users' group, said: "We feel we are moving in the right direction. We have had some very productive talks with South West Trains to discuss the winter timetable which will start in December.

"They have made some very good and helpful proposals for peak time service improvements. We don't know yet whether these will be able to go ahead, it depends on getting approval from Her Majesty's Rail Inspectorate. There have been no promises."

Commuters will welcome SWT's latest proposals of implementing four additional services from Shawford to London in the morning and back the other way in the late-afternoon/evening.

Some will be direct services and others will involve a change, probably in Winchester or Basingstoke.

Mr Hopkins is expecting a decision some time in late summer.

The group still wants to achieve improvements to off-peak and Sunday services.

They also want direct services between Southampton and Shawford, instead of being confined to the line which serves Portsmouth, Brighton and Reading.

Campaigners believe this will only be achieved if platforms are extended at Shawford and they are trying to secure extra funds to do this.

This would enable a new stock of longer "444" trains to stop at the station. They cannot do this at present because Shawford, along with Portchester, currently have the shortest platforms on the line.

"If we can get the platforms extended it will enable any train to stop at Shawford which will give us a greater chance of being put on the same line as Southampton," added Mr Hopkins.