EASTLEIGH'S MP has become the Vice-Chair of a new Parliamentary Group with the aim of challenge South Western Railway.

Paul Holmes is now the Vice-Chair of the new group which has been formed to take a "direct and decisive role" in improving the train service for constituents across the South and South West of England.

The newly elected Eastleigh representative has vowed to improve the service and believes South Western Railway needs to "raise its game".

He said: "Since my election, many constituents have got in about the poor service and high costs they experience from South Western Railway. In my view, the company needs to raise its game considerably and provide a much better service to its customers. I believe this group will be able to put forward constructive solutions to the benefit of customers and South Western Railway alike."

There are a total of 15 MP's in the group, including Winchester and Chandler's Ford MP, Steve Brine, and they intend to examine the entire railway business including franchisees like SWR, as well as the role that the Department for Transport, the network operator (Network Rail) and other industry bodies play on the railway that operates in and out of London Waterloo.

Scrutiny will extend to the entire area that South Western Railway operates which includes the Eastleigh and Southampton Airport Parkway.

At the first meeting in Westminster on January 21, the group agreed five objectives for the network.

The objectives included: providing adequate rail capacity that meets demand, ensuring that any future investment and organisation delivers the service that constituents require and expect, ensuring the passenger experience meets expectations, a reliable and punctual service is delivered to passengers and that this achieves value for money for passenger and taxpayer.

This comes after a 27-day strike from SWR staff in December that left around half of services running, including those to and from London Waterloo, the country’s busiest railway station.

As previously reported, the franchise that operates train services between Hampshire and London could be nationalised by the Department for Transport this year.