Manchester has two of the country’s most overcrowded train journeys, latest Government statistics have revealed.
Transport minister Claire Perry has now thrown down the gauntlet and challenged the rail industry to find new ways to give commuters more seats.
She claims that operators ‘must act now’ to deliver more places to sit on the cramped and overcrowded train carriages after services from Scarborough and Middlesbrough made the national top 10.
Perry said: “Since 1995, passenger journeys on the railway have more than doubled, with 1.6 billion journeys being recorded in the last year.
“This means that on too many journeys, passengers have to stand in cramped conditions. Train operators must act now, they must find new ways to create space on the network and in their trains.”
Latest publications on over-crowding have revealed that the 6.30am from Manchester Airport to Middleborough has a load factor of 166% and was the fifth-most packed route in the autumn season last year.
The 6.30am service from Scarborough to Manchester Airport was also full to the brim in the autumn with a load factor of 156%, making it the eighth most rammed route nationwide.
First TransPennine Express have claimed that they have recently mitigated some of the challenges of overcrowding with the introduction of their May 2014 timetable.
They introduced a fifth train per hour in each direction across the Pennines helping to reduce the gap in frequency of services.
And Perry insists such chance will improve matters without too much delay.
Conservative Perry said: “We are investing more than £38billion in our railway – delivering more trains, more seats and more services and we are pushing ahead with plans for a national high-speed rail network that will help solve the problem in the long-term.
“I understand the frustration of rail passengers forced to stand on busy services and that is why I am calling on the operators to do more.”
Image courtesy of Matt Buck with thanks
