Future improvements to peak time District Line services in the borough could be under threat after a campaign against the changes gained momentum.

Earlier this year tube bosses announced that they planned to discontinue weekday services to Olympia, which would relieve pressure on Earls Court station and allow up to five additional morning rush hour trains to be provided on the Wimbledon line to and from central London.

But during the public consultation, residents and businesses around Kensington Olympia - where the services would be stopped - backed a campaign against the changes.

Now Wandsworth politicians are calling for residents to sign a petition to back the original plans and let Transport for London (TfL) know they want a better tube service at peak times from the borough.

Wandsworth Council's transport spokesman, Councillor Russell King, is urging as many residents as possible to sign the petition before the end of the consultation period on July 15.

He said: "We want London Underground to understanding the strength of feeling in Wandsworth.

"Commuters travelling into Earls Court from Putney Bridge, East Putney, Southfields and other stations south of the river are sick of being herded in like cattle. We need these five extra morning peak time trains."

The District Line service to Olympia is used by less than 2,500 people a day, but can cause delays to all other District line services through Earl's Court.

Introducing the proposed changes would provide capacity for an additional 4,000 people on the Wimbledon line in the morning peak and an extra 800 people to Ealing Broadway in the evening.

Putney, Southfields and Roehampton MP Justine Greening has written to residents to encourage them to back the proposals too.

She said: "Like other regular commuters, I know a better District line service is vital to residents and the proposed five extra trains on our stretch of the District line will really help ease overcrowding and improve reliability for passengers. It’s crucial we support TfL’s proposal to get a better District Line service.

"We need to show TfL how much local commuters support having more morning peak time trains to really enable TfL to implement these changes on our stretch of the line, so please do get in touch with TfL to respond to the consultation."

Sign the petition at www.gopetition.com/petitions/extra-trains-on-the-district-line-wimbledon-branch.