Great Western Coffee Shop

Moderator note: This topic has been moved from a route specific board to 'The Wider Picture' as the overcrowding figures cover other operators, not just FGW. Also merged with another topic on the same subject. bignosemac

Here's a squash (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20783986)

...in fact takes ALL TEN places in the latest top 10 list of the most overcrowded train services.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/aug/12/train-services-overcrowding-data  for details

A remarkable achievement!

That was the data from Autumn 2010 and has now be superceded with data published today from services operating in Autumn 2011.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20783986

FGW are still top of the list though.

Whoops!  Well spotted bignosemac.  My fault for looking at the BBC site, searching for the underlying data, coming across the Guardian link and not noticing it's for the previous year.

What's the methodology for these surveys? Looking at the two SWT services, for example, at what point in the journey is the load factor calculated? I can't believe that the Alton service mentioned has that load factor from the start of its journey. I *can* believe that it would represent the loading between Woking and Waterloo, but that's only about a 25-min journey at worst and not too much of a chore to stand (done it many times).

Likewise the 0732 Woking - Waterloo is a semi-fast service, only 47 minutes origin to terminus. No-one in their right mind would travel on it the entire distance from WOK to WAT as it's overtaken by many faster trains en route so there's no chance it's that heavily loaded leaving Woking. Between Surbiton and Waterloo I don't doubt it is full and standing, but that's only a 10 - 15 minute hop.

I'm deeply suspicious of the methodology used here, and the way it's reported...

Here you go!

It's the 2010 Data, but explains exactly that. (PDF Document) ;) :)

http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/london-south-east-overcrowded-train-services/overcrowded-trains-south-east.pdf (http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/london-south-east-overcrowded-train-services/overcrowded-trains-south-east.pdf)

It would be good if they said where the count took place (obvious for a non-stopper e.g. Reading to Paddington, of course).

It always seems to me that you have these satellite towns, Reading, Luton, Watford, and so on, where Inspector Blakey's point is relevant.  I suppose the same goes if Crossrail was extended to Reading one day.  Is that why it wasn't?

What would you do if you travelled from Maidenhead to Tottenham Court Road in 2020 at 0730?

Basically the same explanation is given for this new 2011 data:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/34894/top-ten-overcrowded-trains-2011.pdf

I guess Google will eventually get this document to the top of the list...

Paul