Over crowded trains?

Question

So after reading the "What if trains are late" question I'm curious about something similar:

I have often had to stand for a good hour and a half on a train that is literally full, as in like a tube train full, no more space, everyone crammed in together all down the aisles etc...

Given that it tends to happen regularly (so they should now know to add another carriage or two) and that I don't feel like having to elbow through crowds just to make sure I don't spend 90 minutes like cattle, is there anything I can do?

I don't mind tube journeys so much, as they tend to be fairly short, but 90 minutes is ludicrus!

Answer 1

This scenario is the bug-a-boo with mass transit that keeps people away in droves in the US.

The transit is not the problem, but the "mass" is.  Few are willing to invest the time and endure the aggravation you travelers in the UK seem to encounter on a regular basis, as has  been indicated by many such posts on this site.

More coaches means more overhead and less profit.  Most economists will tell you that volume can compensate for lower profit margin, but the TOCs, both here and abroad, haven't seem to have gotten that message yet.

Answer 2

To answer your direst question about overcrowding, no there is nothing you can do. Some TOCS  are actually removing seats to make standing easier. The Government has made others use a less satisfactory, 4 wheeled stock called 'Pacers' whilst better carriages are left in the siding. You sound as if you are traveling from Nottingham to Sheffield by Central Trains. Can't you use Midland Mainline which has 5 coach Meridians, or longer HSTs? They can't just 'add another carriage' as all sets are fixed formation. it's not like the old days of a steam or diesel locomotive pulling a rake of carriages. As to the answer which talks about there not being enough power to pull these 'enormous' trains when the Government's extra stock is available, well that is just nonsense. They will make 3 car 'sets' (as they are known) up to 4 and 4 up to 5. Many have been designed to take extra carriages.

Answer 3

If you really are standing in a cattle like state for 90 mins, I would be extremley surprsed! Where are you travelling from too? 90 mins excludes all of the South East starting journey so you must be travelling some distance? Have you tried varying your journey times?

Also adding a carrage or two does not work. If your train is that full it will only allow more people on board that would wait for other services. Plus unless you are riding on a Virgin, GNER, GWR service that does not have integral sets you can not add or delete one or two cars from it.

Most sets (this is a train not a carrage) are either 2,3 or 4 length then 'added' together to make lengths of trains.

One option you do have is take a note over the week, month of travel and write down which train you caught and how full it was, exact time of travel and if you had a seat or not. Obtain your TOC's comments form and add the information to it explaining that you require compensation from the company for the 'stress' of the journey. If this does not happen go through your Rail Users group and then your MP. You will find the company will respond very quickly.

Answer 4

There was a 'sort of' answer to this on the news yesterday when the government announced plans to invest millions in more carriages but they wont be up and running fully untill 2012!

Part of it comes from many platforms not being long enough so (stupid) people would jump off the train onto nothing and land on the tracks below.

I don't supposed they could have the doors locked on the new carriages due to health and safety.

There will be an issue making sure there will be enough power to pull these huge trains, some of the current stock makes Ivor the Engine look modern.

We always seem to accept that whatever happens in this country with rail that it will be a half hearted effort, it wont make a noticeable difffrence, they STILL wont run on time.

Why can so many countries get it right and we can't?

Answer 5

If you have read the Papers or watched the News, you will know that the UK Goverment has agreed to buy in extra train carrages to help in the easing of the over crowding. There is a couple of problem with this at the moment mind, and that is these carrages have to be built (this will mean that the train Stations platforms will have to be extended & re-signalling & alot of other thing will have to be done as well). But I gether that the goverment wants to get this all up and running by 2012, when the spotlight is on the UK. We will have to wait and see what happens.

Answer 6

What has annoyed me is that governnent has pumped in billions of pounds for new stock which 90% will go to the south east. They seem to think the country starts at Watford Gap and ends in the South East

Answer 7

You won't get any compensation, as the Train Operating Companies could argue that it was your decision to get on the train.  Your ticket does not guarantee a seat.

The real reason for overcrowding is that the railway is run as a business, rather than a public service.  The companies are answerable to shareholders, so they try to run a service with a minimum of overheads such as leasing more carriages from the rolling stock companies (ROSCOS).

Answer 8

I have to say that in terms of the underground passengers should stop acting like a bunch of lemmings, there are trains every 2-3 mins so if the train that arrives is full then use your brain and wait for the next one.

As for normal train journeys, admittedly the trains can be full especially during peak hours, this is due to commuters who want the wages of london but don't want to pay the house prices, unfortunately there is a limit, due to health and safety in this country as to how many coaches you can have on any one service, or perhaps you would like us to be like India where you get to travel on the roof or hang on to the side.

Answer 9

Try doing the same with menstrual cramps..............then you'll have something to complain about!

Poopsy  x

Answer 10

And i thought we had the only train problems here in Oz

check this out

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/st...

hope it makes you feel heaps better

Answer 11

The main problem is the fact that train operating companies (unlike private railway companies pre-nationalisation) do not own the carriages they operate. They are owned by leasing companies who charge outrageous sums to hire out their carriages, raking in enormous inflated profits as they do so. Therefore the TOCs are reluctant to increase the length of their trains (or run a more frequent service) because it would cost much more - which would affect their profitability. So why do we have this crazy system? It was the fault of the last conservative administration who set up this shambles apparently as a way of milking taxpayers to line the pockets of city investors and parasites!

Answer 12

i have worked on the railway for a number of years and travel too and from work on trains regularly. I totally agree that peak time services are overcrowded at times and it is the same trains affected on a daily basis. In theory the simplest thing is to add additional sets (trains) to those services. Unfortunately there is insufficient stock to maintain the existing services at times and providing additional or strengthened services are next to impossible. The announcement this week for extra trains hopefully will make some impact but as stated above most of these will be in the London commuter belt. The platform length is a valid reason for some services having to run as they do. I work on the railway as i say and i have seen people do the strangest things including missing the platform when leaving the train and falling between platform and train so i shudder at the thought of people stepping out of a door that could be five feet above ground level . Believe me that too has happened on numerous occasions in the past so hence the rules. The rarest thing in the world is common sense !!