TRAINS travelling through Colchester are set to be improved with £4million of funding.

Work to improve 40 trains will be carried out over the next four months.

Improvements include new seat covers, better lighting and an enhanced “heavy clean” programme.

Colchester MP Will Quince said: “Anything that improves the experience of passengers and commuters has got to be welcomed.

“But, as I am always saying, the big thing is getting commuters into London on time, so that should be the main focus.”

About 4.4 million passengers use Colchester station each year.

Class 321 trains, which include those used on Colchester services, will undergo an extended programme of specific modifications, which are designed to make them more reliable.

Cleaning and modifications will additionally be carried out on trains serving Witham, Braintree, Clacton, Harwich and Ipswich.

Colchester station will gain new platform seating.

The investment will cost Abellio Greater Anglia an extra £4million and bring investment in the trains to more than £35.5 million in upgrades during its franchise.

Witham station is in line for new platform seating and a new customer information screen. Network Rail is also investing £1million at Colchester station.