Picture this: you’re standing on the platform, waiting for your morning train to work.
It pulls in, and then you realise that it’s packed to the rafters with other barely awake office workers, all clutching their morning coffees in unison.
But if you were convinced that your daily commute is the most chaotic, you might yet be proven wrong – as now, the busiest train route in England and Wales has been revealed.
Any guesses? It’s the 7.33am service from Bedford (in Bedfordshire, naturally) to Three Bridges in Sussex, ticking off Luton Airport, central London and Gatwick along the way.
As per the latest figures from the Department for Transport, in autumn 2023, this particular service had more passengers standing than seated in the stretch approaching St Pancras International (with a maximum load factor of a whopping 204%). Cosy, hey?
The maximum load factor was calculated by dividing the passenger load of the carriages (excluding first-class) by the total capacity.
As such, Govia Thameslink was forced to increase this particular service to operate with 12 coaches, allowing space for an extra 618 passengers in total.
Now, this commuter train has an average of 187 standing passengers – which is a maximum load factor of 129%, though the typical number of commuters using this service has subsequently jumped up slightly to 835.
Notably, this line includes a total of 16 stops, including Blackfriars, St Pancras International, Croydon, and of course, St Albans.
This Hertfordshire city was crowned the best commuter spot of 2024 by OnTheMarket, hailed for its transport links, nearby schools, and close proximity to the capital, being just 20 minutes (or 26 miles north) by train.
So, it’s little surprise that a service that passes straight through it has been named the busiest – though, as per statistics released in March, 63% of trains stopping at St Albans specifically were delayed (despite the fact that a yearly season ticket will cost you more than £4,300 if you’re in the office four days a week or more).
The 10 busiest trains in England and Wales
- 7.33am Bedford to Three Bridges (point of maximum load: London St Pancras International, maximum load factor: 204%)
- 7.46am Prince’s Risborough to London Marylebone (London Marylebone, 165%)
- 2.57pm Gloucester to Maesteg (Cardiff Central, 162%)
- 6.10am Portsmouth Harbour to London Waterloo (Vauxhall, 157%)
- 5.46pm London Euston to Crewe (London Euston, 155%)
- 7.03am Bedford to Three Bridges (London St Pancras International, 155%)
- 6.30pm London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour (Vauxhall, 154%)
- 7.14am Alton to London Waterloo (Vauxhall, 152%)
- 6.14am Stourbridge Junction to London Marylebone (London Marylebone, 151%)
- 7.30am Bedford to Three Bridges (London St Pancras International, 150%).
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Elsewhere, the 7.46am service from Prince’s Risborough in Buckinghamshire to London Marylebone was ranked the second busiest service with a maximum load factor of 165%.
However, Chiltern Railways has noted that it’s doing ‘everything possible’ to introduce more trains to the network and upgrade the existing ones with newer models.
And, in third place was the only route not connecting into London with the 2.57pm service from Gloucester to Maesteg in Wales – which is at its busiest between Cardiff and Bridgend.
So, the next time you find yourself rolling your eyes at a mildly packed train, spare a thought for the commuters on the busiest.
The travel hack every commuter needs to know to get a seat on a busy train
Recently, a travel expert revealed a handy way to work out which carriages have the most available seats – and we bet you had no idea about it.
Chelsea Dickenson, who goes by Cheap Holiday Expert online, posts tons of tips and tricks to save money and make travelling that little bit easier.
In a recent video titled ‘I Bet You Didn’t Know This Train Tip’, Chelsea told viewers about a feature of the electronic platform signs that will help you find a quieter cabin.
In the video, Chelsea stands in Manchester Piccadilly station, pointing at one of the signs that often appears at the top of each platform, listing the stops the train will be making.
Under the list of destinations, there’s a symbol indicating a train.
‘You see that little drawing of a train, that actually gives you loads of information about how busy each of the carriages are,’ explains Chelsea.
‘So the more coloured in it is, the more busy and full it is, the more booked seats there are.
‘And therefore, if you do not have a seat booked, you are best heading to the ones that are not filled in at all.’
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