Rail bosses are laying on another 14,000 seats for off-peak passengers every week on the Fenchurch Street line.

The number of carriages on 50 trains is being doubled starting this weekend, from four to eight on the busiest late-night and weekend services on c2c’s Southend and Shoeburyness service normally used only in the rush-hour.

It follows talks with the Passenger Panel group which had called for more room on overcrowded services.

Panel chairman Martin Smith, who commutes daily from Barking, said: “Getting a seat and having more space is important—this change improves travel for thousands of passengers.”

Monday to Friday—12 late-night trains with eight carriages instead of four.

Saturday—28 trains double-up, six each way in the morning between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, five each way in the evening and three late night each way.

Even Sunday passengers get more seats when trains double-up—three morning departures from Shoeburyness with two return journeys and seven evening trains, four from Fenchurch Street and three the other way.

Another 5,500 extra seats are also being laid on during school half-term from next Tuesday to Friday by adding carriages on the busiest off-peak morning trains to London.