Metro extends London commuter belt distribution at 82 new railway stations in south and east

Free commuter paper Metro is printing an extra 50,000 copies daily and extending distribution of its London edition to Southampton, Peterborough, Cambridge and Ipswich, MediaGuardian reports today.

It says the move is designed to catch London commuters before they arrive in the capital and are offered rival publications.

Metro's London edition will increase its daily circulation to 800,000 copies and be made available at 82 extra railway stations in commuter belt towns including Southampton, Peterborough, Northampton, Hastings, Cambridge, Ipswich and Bedford.

Steve Auckland, managing director of Metro, is quoted as saying: "Following the largest audit our distribution team have undertaken in all of our south-east stations we found that in some areas supply was not meeting demand and in other areas we did not have access to the platform. We have now been able to rectify this and extend our supply."

Metro is also increasing distribution at 117 stations in the London region where the paper is already available.