The 10 busiest commuter trains in England and Wales revealed

The Department for Transport (DfT) has released data identifying the ten most congested commuter train services in England and Wales. The DfT noted a 4% increase in train capacity over the past year.

The most severely overcrowded train service last autumn was a Thameslink morning rush hour journey from Bedford to Three Bridges in West Sussex. Following this, the second most crowded service was a West Midlands train departing London Euston at 17:46, bound for Crewe, Cheshire, according to government statistics.

Overall, the figures indicate a slight reduction in overcrowding on commuter trains serving major cities in England and Wales, marking the first decrease since 2020. This improvement is attributed to the increased capacity. The DfT reported that only 1.1% of peak-time passengers experienced an overcrowded train. On an average autumn day, over 1.2 million of the 1.9 million total journeys were within London.

The DfT stated that efforts are in progress to enhance capacity at known congestion points during peak hours.

The Thameslink service topping the list recorded a "load factor" – a measure of how full the train was – of 176% at London St Pancras shortly after 08:00. The West Midlands service to Crewe had a load factor of 170%, reaching its peak occupancy upon departure from Euston. The third most crowded train was a Transport for Wales service from Bridgend to Rhymney, with a load factor of 161%, being busiest at Llanishen.

Four of the top ten services were operated by South Western, and Thameslink services appeared three times in total.

Here are the ten busiest commuter trains:

* **Thameslink:** Bedford to Three Bridges via London St Pancras (176% at 08:09)

* **West Midlands:** London Euston to Crewe (170% at 17:46)

* **Transport for Wales:** Bridgend to Rhymney via Llanishen (161% at 16:45)

* **South Western:** Alton to London Waterloo (159% at 08:22)

* **Thameslink:** Bedford to Three Bridges via London St Pancras (155% at 08:24)

* **South Western:** Fareham to London Waterloo via Vauxhall (151% at 08:19)

* **Thameslink:** Epsom to London Bridge (150% at 08:28)

* **South Western:** Portsmouth Harbour to London Waterloo via Vauxhall (149% at 08:27)

* **South Western:** London Waterloo to Basingstoke via Vauxhall (147% at 17:50)

* **West Midlands:** London Euston to Birmingham New Street (146% at 17:56)

The DfT's data was compiled from passenger counts conducted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between September and December 2025, reflecting typical autumn weekday travel.

Compared to autumn 2024, overall overcrowding saw a slight decrease, with an average of 16,800 (1%) passengers daily traveling in excess of capacity. The DfT confirmed that seating capacity has increased by 4% in the last year.

A DfT spokesperson commented: "The vast majority of passengers – 98.9% – typically travel on services that are not overcrowded. Where there are pinch points during peak hours, work is under way to improve capacity. GTR has added carriages to its busiest commuter services, while South Western Railway has boosted capacity by nearly 30% in the last year with new trains. Bringing track and train together under Great British Railways will support further improvements, helping create a joined-up service that puts passengers first."

During peak times, a quarter of passengers traveling into and out of London had to stand. However, in other cities, only 5% of passengers were unable to find a seat.

A Thameslink spokesperson stated that their trains are designed with ample standing room for their busiest commuter routes. They added: "We are always monitoring how busy our services are and continually make changes to provide more space. In the last few years alone, we've lengthened trains on some of our busiest Bedford to London services and introduced an additional peak-time service to provide more choice and extra space."

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