Arriva Trains Wales has been reached an agreement with the Department for Transport (DfT) that will boost rail services between England and Wales.

The £1.2 million deal means the operator will run an additional locomotive and four carriages, improving services for passengers and local businesses on the routes between Llandudno and Holyhead to Manchester and Birmingham.

As a result of the additional services, which will start in December, passengers will benefit from at least 2,450 extra seats across the morning and evening peaks every week. 

Commenting on the deal, transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "It will mean better connections for thousands of passengers, and is further proof our long term economic plan is on track, making a real difference to hard-working people."

The DfT is currently undertaking a programme of infrastructure investment, with Network Rail due to spend £38 billion over the next five years. Maintenance work and enhancements are taking place that will allow new state-of-the-art trains to run between London and South Wales, improving connections and capacity.