The Department for Transport (DfT) has released data revealing the most overcrowded train services in England and Wales. According to the DfT, a morning Thameslink service from Bedford to Three Bridges reached 176% capacity by the time it arrived at London St Pancras at 8.09am.
In the evenings, overcrowding was also prevalent, with a West Midlands service from London Euston to Crewe hitting 170% capacity at 5.46pm, and a Transport for Wales service from Bridgend to Rhymney reaching 161% capacity at 4.45pm in Llanishen.
The data, collected on a typical autumn weekday between September 16 and December 13, 2025, showed that during peak hours, one in five passengers were standing, increasing to one in four in London. Peak times were defined as trains arriving in city centers between 7am and 9:59am, and departing between 4pm and 6:59pm.
Overall, although crowding decreased, with an average of 16,800 passengers per day exceeding capacity, representing 1.1% of total travelers, a decrease from the previous year. London had the highest daily passenger arrivals, with 1,256,600 passengers daily, significantly higher than Birmingham’s 116,700 daily arrivals.
The total daily passenger arrivals averaged 1,923,600, up 3% from 2024, indicating a rising demand post-Covid pandemic. The DfT stated that 98.9% of passengers typically traveled on services that were not overcrowded.
Efforts are underway to address capacity issues during peak hours, with operators like GTR adding carriages to busy commuter services and South Western Railway increasing capacity by nearly 30% in the past year with new trains. Timetable changes and the addition of 76,000 extra seats per week by nationalized operators are also being implemented to alleviate overcrowding.
Thameslink highlighted their efforts to monitor and improve service capacity, including train lengthening on busy routes and introducing additional peak-time services to offer more space for passengers. Great British Railways aims to enhance services further by integrating track and train operations for a more passenger-centric approach.