LONDON Waterloo remains Britain’s busiest railway station, according to new figures by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), with annual passenger numbers reaching more than 99 million in one year.

The total number of passenger journeys at London Waterloo – measured by entries and exits – reached 99.1 million for 2015/16, while another station on the Liphook to Waterloo line – Clapham Junction – has replaced Charing Cross in the top 10 most used stations with 32.2 million entries and exits.

It comes as Network Rail and South West Trains continue their work to boost capacity at Waterloo by 30 per cent.

Network Rail managing director Becky Lumlock said: “The new figures released by the ORR demonstrate the extraordinary growth in the number of people using the railway and underline the need for the national railway upgrade plan and the £800 million investment in the Waterloo and South West upgrade.

“Passenger numbers are at their highest level since the Victorian era and are continuing to grow, so it is vital that we keep investing and deliver a better Wessex route.”

The £800million investment is the biggest package of improvements for passengers using Waterloo for decades, and will include five additional platforms at Waterloo.

SWT route managing director Christian Roth added: "The continued rise in passengers using this railway, particularly at London Waterloo, shows just how important it is to increase capacity and improve the facilities for passengers as quickly as possible.

“The Waterloo upgrade will provide longer platforms, new trains and 30 per cent more capacity for passengers, improving the journeys of tens of thousands of people every day.”

A large chunk of the work to boost capacity inthe capital will be delivered from August 5-28, when platforms one to nine will close for three-and-a-half weeks, while platforms 20-24 will temporarily re-open.

Network Rail and South West Trains are asking passengers to get ahead of the changes early by checking www.networkrail.co.uk/wswupgrade