UK - Commuter overcrowding worsens key lines

Figures released by the Office of Rail Regulation showed that First Great Western’s performance deteriorated in 2009.

The company – dubbed worst great western – was at the heart a protest by passengers on its commuter services over lack of space on its services between Bristol and Bath. On some services commuters were forced to stand in lavatories, because there was no room elsewhere.

Overcrowding is defined as the number of passengers a train carries over its capacity during the rush hour.

According to the ORR’S figures 8.2 per cent of First Great Western’s trains were overcrowded compared to 6.5 per cent in 2008. Passengers on three other lines also saw rush hour overcrowding worsen last year.

On London Midland rush-hour London the number of overcrowded services rose from 4.8% to 5.9%. London Overground's figures went up from 0.8% to 1.6%.

Meanwhile southern, which operates services between Victoria and Brighton saw the number of overcrowded trains rise from 2.7 to 3 per cent.

Last year Keith Ludeman, chief executive of Go Ahead, Southern’s parent company, angered passenger groups when he said commuters should move to the seaside if they wanted to be guaranteed a seat.

However the position improved for passengers on six other lines.

These were: Chiltern, First Capital Connect, National Express East Anglia, Southeastern, South West Trains and London to Tilbury and Southend company c2c.

The previous Government promised to introduce 1,300 extra carriages to ease overcrowding.

But this program was put on hold by the Coalition shortly after taking office, with hundreds of carriages still undelivered.

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/