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England’s most overcrowded trains include Thameslink Bedford route
The top service ran at a 176% load factor at London St Pancras shortly after 08:00, while overcrowding overall fell slightly as capacity increased.
BBC Business reports that England and Wales identified their 10 most overcrowded commuter train services in autumn 2025, with the most congested running on the Thameslink morning rush hour route between Bedford and Three Bridges in West Sussex.
According to UK government Department for Transport figures, the top service registered a 176% load factor at London St Pancras shortly after 08:00. A West Midlands service from London Euston to Crewe, Cheshire, ranked second and posted a 170% load factor, while a Transport for Wales service from Bridgend to Rhymney had a 161% load factor.
The government said overcrowding on commuter trains serving major English and Welsh cities fell slightly, for the first time since 2020, due to increased capacity. It added that only 1.1% of peak-time travellers were on an overcrowded train, and daily average journeys in the typical autumn weekday rose to 1.9 million, including more than 1.2 million in London.
The data were based on passenger counts taken on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from September through December 2025. The Department for Transport reported an average of 16,800 passengers per day traveling in excess of capacity, about 1% fewer than the prior autumn, and it pointed to ongoing work to address peak-hour pinch points, including added carriages and new trains.