TRAIN journey times between Weymouth and London could be slashed by almost an hour if a multi-million pound project to develop a new route gets the green light.

Top-level discussions will take place today (tues) to put together plans for a new route that would go to the capital from Weymouth, via Yeovil and Salisbury, and would take two hours and 15 minutes.

As part of the plans, the line between Weymouth and Yeovil would be significantly upgraded to accommodate a fast train, which would take approximately 30 minutes.

The track from Yeovil to London, via Salisbury, would also be upgraded and then would take approximately one hour 45 minutes.

The talks, which will include representatives from Dorset County Council, the Dorset LEP, chief executive of West Dorset, North Dorset and Weymouth and Portland councils Matt Prosser, the Government's trains minister Claire Perry, local MPs, and South West Trains, will take place at around noon today before a debate, called by south Dorset MP Richard Drax, will be held at the House of Commons.

The discussions are being spearheaded by Mr Drax, who told the Echo plans were being put together after he had a private meeting with the Chancellor George Osborne, who agreed to consider granting funding for the project if it could be proven the new train line would be economically viable for the south west.

Mr Drax said it wasn't clear if the plans would be signed off or a possible timescale, but said he was hopeful because of the collaborative working between the different organisations.

South Dorset MP Richard Drax, who has been discussing the options for several months, said: “If everything goes well we would be thrilled because it means getting people to Weymouth that much quicker, which is great for businesses, commuters and tourists.

“Everyone is taking it very seriously, this is the second meeting we will have on the possibility and it has the backing of all the local MPs, the LEP and the councillors.

“We are still in the preliminary stages, but, everybody is working together and if we can achieve it, it would be excellent.”

The reason that the new route via Yeovil and Salisbury is because the current route to London from Weymouth, which goes through Bournemouth and Poole, is already full to capacity and the track does not have enough electricity to power a fast train.

The plans come as it's revealed that spending on public transport in London compared to the south West is more than £2,000 more.

Figures released by the HM Treasury National Infrastructure Pipelines 2015 report reveals that per head per year, only £304 is spent on public transport in the region, compared to London where it is £2,604.

Cllr Robert Gould, who will be represented at the meeting by his deputy Cllr Peter Finney, said: “We see the meeting with the rail minister Claire Perry as an important opportunity to press the case for improved rail connections.

“We are working closely with the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership to encourage further investment in rail infrastructure.

“Better, faster rail connections will help us realise the great potential for economic growth in the Weymouth area and the western part of the County to the benefit of all our residents.”