THE number of people travelling to Weston-super-Mare by train has doubled since Banksy’s Dismaland exhibition opened its gates.

First Great Western has seen almost a 100 per cent uplift in its journeys on its service between London and Weston.

The street artist opened his Dismaland exhibition on August 21 and it will run until September 27.

It includes work from more than 50 artists from around the world, including pieces from the likes of Damien Hirst and Julie Burchill.

First Great Western’s campaigns manager Jamie Anderson believes the show has ‘inspired culture’ in the area, and said: “As one of the main transport providers between London and Weston, we have seen the number of journeys on this service double since the doors to the attraction opened last month.

“It’s exciting to see such demand for this project, which has seen the transformation of a derelict piece of land into the art exhibition everyone wants to visit.

“By unveiling Dismaland to the nation Banksy has inspired culture in the West once again. There is so much rich culture to experience and we would encourage culture vultures not to stop here and explore some of the other stunning attractions in the region.”

To see a gallery of pictures from inside Dismaland click this link.