Rail users will benefit from extra services when South Western Railway introduces its next train timetable from May 19.

SWR announced last week it would be introducing an additional 300 train services a week across the network.

Martin Odell, secretary of the Haslemere Rail Users’ Group (HRUG), said: "I welcome the extra services on the Waterloo-Portsmouth line, which will be Haslemere to Waterloo at 5.57am and 7.08am and, in the evening, from Waterloo to Haslemere at 5.08pm, 11pm and 11.30pm.

"There will also be two more services in the morning from Waterloo to Haslemere at 5.45am and 7am, although generally speaking these will not benefit regular Haslemere travellers."

SWR has announced many of its existing fleet will be refurbished.

Mr Odell said the delayed Class 442s will run on the Waterloo-Portsmouth line, rather than the brand-new, state-of-the-art Class 701 trains.

"They won’t normally come near Haslemere,’ he said.

Mr Odell said he had also learned the reduction in first-class accommodation in the Class 450 trains for Haslemere passengers had been on the instruction of the government and Department for Transport, to enable more seats to be available to all passengers.

But he added: "Surely that cannot be claimed as an enhancement for those travellers who pay substantially more for their tickets."

Announcing the additional services on Thursday last week, SWR managing director Andy Mellors, said: "There will be substantial changes to our next timetable starting in May, which will bring more than 300 additional train services a week for our customers across the network.

"Many of these service enhancements are based on extensive consultations and feedback sessions that were undertaken previously with local stakeholders, businesses, community groups and customers.

"We will continue to work on refurbishing our existing fleet and introducing brand new state-of-the-art trains in to service by the end of the year."

Rail users had been due to be impacted by a 24-hour walkout on Saturday, March 16 by RMT members, but that has now been called off.

The RMT announced last month - before two walkouts scheduled for February 22 and March 9 had taken place - that the three planned strikes in the dispute over guards on trains had been suspended.

The union said there had been a breakthrough in the two-year dispute .

RMT general secretary Mick Cash added there had been "substantial progress" in talks with the company, which he said had now offered a guarantee of a guard on services that had been in dispute.

SWR said it was "pleased" strike action had been suspended and is now looking forward to "further constructive discussions" with RMT and hopeful to see an end to industrial action and build a "better railway for customers".