Thousands of UK commuters are standing on trains during peak hours, with new data indicating an all-time high in overcrowding for London. On a typical weekday, over 300,000 passengers are forced to stand during their journeys into major cities.
For those traveling into London, the situation is particularly severe, with 27% of passengers standing during peak times. This contrasts with other major cities across the country, where only about one in 20 commuters face standing. The data, collected in autumn of the previous year, shows that 1,920,000 people commuted into large cities each morning, with London accounting for two-thirds of these journeys.
The most overcrowded train service identified was a Thameslink train from Bedford to St Pancras International, arriving at 8:09 AM. This service carried an average of 76% more passengers than its seating capacity, meaning nearly half the people on board were standing. Another Thameslink service on the same route, departing 15 minutes later, was also among the top five most crowded, with 55% more passengers than available seats.
Outside of London, the West Midlands train service departing from London Euston to Crewe at 5:46 PM was the second most overcrowded, with 70% more passengers than seats. A Transport for Wales train from Bridgend to Rhymney, which picks up commuters from Cardiff, was also noted, with 61% too many passengers. This was the only non-London route to feature in the top ten.
Overall, approximately one-third of all services carried more passengers than seats during peak times. For trains traveling to and from London, this figure rose to over half of all services. Despite the increase in passenger numbers, with a 4% rise in morning commutes into cities and a 3% rise in departures from cities compared to the previous year, the proportion of passengers with seats has slightly improved. The overall excess of passengers over seating capacity decreased to 1.1% nationwide, attributed to a 4% increase in available seats across the country.
The Liberal Democrats have criticized the current state of rail services, with transport spokesperson Olly Glover stating that commuters are not receiving value for their