TRAIN operator First Great Western is urging people to book their seats on its services over the Easter period as soon as possible.

The firm, which operates trains between South Wales and London Paddington via Swindon, says places on its services between Good Friday April 9 and Easter Monday are already selling rapidly.

Routes are expected to be at their busiest on Easter Sunday.

Services from London Paddington to the West of England are traditionally the most popular, and to help cater for increased demand an additional service to Penzance will leave London Paddington at 7.03pm on Thursday, April 8.

First Great Western's head of marketing, Louise Blyth, said: "That Thursday is one of the busiest days of the year for the railway industry.

"Making your holiday plans and booking your seat now not only provides peace of mind, but means you're more likely to get a great value limited availability fare like Apex or SuperAdvance."

This Easter will be the first when tickets can be bought through First Great Western's website www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk.

Seats can also be booked by calling 08457 000 125, and reservations are free if made at the time of ticket purchase.

However, services over the Easter weekend will also be affected by Network Rail's ongoing track and signal improvement programme.

Services to and from South Wales will be diverted via Gloucester and not call at Bristol Parkway. There will be a return road service for passengers wanting to reach Bristol Parkway from Swindon.