SOUTH West Trains could spend up to £100,000 on improvements to Weymouth Railway Station.

The company gave details of its plans at yesterday's meeting of Weymouth and Portland Public Transport Forum.

Retail manager Richard French said the investment that was being considered could be over three years to 2005.

And he said it could include a variety of measures from new road markings on the station approaches to new lay-bys and new passenger shelters.

The meeting also heard from a new bus company which hopes to start a Portland-Weymouth-Dorchester service from September 2 from its base at Southwell Business Park, Portland.

Sureline director David Beaman said: "I have no illusions that this will be easy. Our first year will be one of survival. We will just see how it goes - but we are here to stay."

Members also said they were worried at how cars were sneaking into the bus lane in Weymouth and at how coach parking was causing congestion.

The forum agreed to ask police to look at the issues and members approved contacting coach companies and some of the larger hotels about the parking problem.

Members expressed concern over plans by train companies to impose a £10 minimum fare on journeys to and from the station using a Network card.

Coun Andy Hutchings said he felt the minimum fare would "disenfranchise" people and force them back on to the roads.

Mr French replied that the minimum fare had been a collective suggestion by train companies and he promised that South West Trains would look at what it was going to do in Dorset.

But forum chairman Coun Jim Churchouse said that the Network card - which allows travellers cheap rates at certain times - was important to Dorset commuters and travellers.

The meeting agreed with his suggestion that the forum write to train operators to express their concern in time for a meeting of companies in four weeks' time when representations would be discussed.

Other issues discussed by the forum included traffic problems in King Street.

Members said these needed to be sorted out if any transport strategy for the town was to work and Mr Churchouse said a study of traffic in the area was currently being made.