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Rail passengers in England and Wales face "substantial increases in already unacceptable overcrowding levels" by 2014 and beyond, a report by MPs says.

Department for Transport plans suggest targets for increasing passenger places will be missed.

It was "not clear to passengers" where money from fare rises went and firms should be made to tackle overcrowding and not rely on subsidies, it added.

The government said plans to improve the situation would be unveiled soon.

Public Accounts Committee chairwoman Margaret Hodge said MPs were concerned that the "already unacceptable levels of overcrowding will simply get worse and ever more intolerable". She added: "At present there is no incentive for the rail industry to supply extra capacity without additional public subsidy. The DfT should, for future franchises, require operators to take measures themselves to avoid overcrowding and to meet the costs of doing so."

Smart ticketing

The Department for Transport is 18 months into a five-year, ^9bn investment programme to improve rail travel.

Under the plans longer platforms are being built and there will be more carriages on services coming into London and other major cities during peak hours.

But the Public Accounts Committee report says "this approach cannot go on indefinitely" and "alternatives must be found to meet the capacity challenge in the future".

It recommends that the DfT should require all new train carriages to be fitted with automatic passenger counting equipment to show how many people are travelling and when.

It also believes if more tickets were contained on smart cards, operators would be able to use the information about passenger numbers to target overcrowding.

The government should "pursue and promote smart ticketing and other demand management techniques to reduce the inefficiencies of overcrowding in peak hours and underused rolling stock at other times", the committee added.

According to the report by 2014 there will be 15% fewer extra places delivered in London in the morning peak and 33% fewer into other major cities. This compares to the numbers the DfT stated would be needed just to hold overcrowding at current levels.

The cross-party group of MPs highlighted parts of the South-eastern franchise, where passengers paid paying premium fares to support the new high-speed Javelin services "which do not stop at their stations and do little to alleviate overcrowding on the trains they use".

They added there was concerned that the Office of Rail Regulation had been in place for more than a decade but "had not succeeded in getting a grip on the railway industry's efficiency".

'Wholesale review'

Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "We welcome the importance this report places on getting a seat as it recognises the daily struggle faced by some passengers."

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT union, described the report as a "shocking indictment of the total failure of rail privatisation. Passengers are forced to pay through the nose to travel in obsolete and overcrowded carriages while private train operating companies are laughing all the way to the bank."

Gerry Doherty, leader of the TSSA rail union, said: "Passengers face the worst of all possible worlds - ever-rising fares on an overcrowded service with no relief in sight." He said coalition's plans to raise fares over the next five years would "force many families off the railway".

In the government's Spending Review, it was announced that caps on regulated rail fares - essentially those within peak hours - will rise to 3% above the RPI rate of inflation for three years from 2012.

Responding to the Public Accounts Committee report, Transport Secretary Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said the increases would enable investment in capacity to continue and details of the plans to reduce overcrowding would be unveiled in the coming weeks.

But he added: "We currently have one of the most expensive railways in the world, which is unfair on both farepayers and taxpayers, reflecting poor incentives to control costs across the whole industry. As the committee rightly says, this situation is not sustainable. We have to reduce the costs of our railways, so that both taxpayers and farepayers get a better deal. That is why Sir Roy McNulty is leading a review into reducing rail industry costs and why we have begun a wholesale review of rail franchising."

In the end they will probably just increase prices

Who, what, why: How to get off a busy train

Train overcrowding is unacceptable, and going to get worse, according to a report by MPs. But passengers often do themselves no favours by the way they crowd around doors when getting on and off.

Elbows at the ready and breathe in. You'll need to as a new report from MPs says overcrowding on trains in England and Wales will get substantially worse over the next four years, despite rises in ticket prices.

Plans to improve the situation will be unveiled soon, says the government. But could beleaguered passengers make the best of a bad lot by learning to get on and off trains more efficiently?

The following is an all too typical scene - a train stops, the doors slide open and anyone trying to get off is greeted by a wall of people. Alighting passengers must slowly funnel themselves through a small opening in the crowd.

For passengers trying to get on as quickly and easily as possible, this is exactly the wrong thing to do, says productivity consultant Eugene Chinal. Pushing gets you nowhere fast. It's all about creating - and maintaining - a steady flow, he says.

"The thing about efficiency is getting a consistent flow - if flow is impeded you get a build up. It's the same when driving on the motorway or trying to get into a football stadium."

Train companies realised this a long time ago, says Mr Chinal, who has worked with many transport companies on time and motion studies. Newer trains incorporate features to increase passenger flow.

Heavy doors that opened manually by turning a clunky handle have been replaced by electronic doors that open automatically, as soon as the train stops.

And speed is not always a solution, he adds. Too fast and people may stumble. Take it steady to keep things flowing.

"When it comes to flow, even the smallest action or impediment can have a snowballing affect, behind the person and in front of them," says Mr Chinal.

There is also a correct sequence to making embarking and disembarking as painless as possible. Firstly, all passengers who want to get off should be allowed to do so quickly - which means those eager to board the carriage ought to stand well back. Getting on as someone is getting off is a big no-no.

Once everyone is off new passengers should step on. It is very important that they continue moving down the carriage, this allows the flow to remain consistent. Stopping in the first clearing of free space slows everyone down, says Mr Chinal.

From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11676437):

Commuters 'priced off' overcrowded rail routes

With rail passengers facing significant fare rises, and fears growing that already "unacceptable" levels of overcrowding will worsen, one train operator says it is being forced to price customers off its peak time routes. What can the government do to tackle the problem?

Northern Rail says its hands are tied. The Department for Transport has taken over responsibility for procurement to deliver extra capacity.

Two years ago Northern Rail was told by the government that it would be getting 182 extra carriages. But so far it has only had 10, with another eight on the way. It is nowhere near enough.

"It would be impossible to get anybody else on this train!" says Bolton Liberal Democrat councillor David Wilkinson, as we stand pinned in the vestibule between carriages. If this was a cattle truck, it would be illegal! I have been on this line where the guard has told people to get off. It's not just on this route, it happens elsewhere in the Greater Manchester area."

"This is a common feature of every train," says Mr Wilkinson, who is also a member of the Greater Manchester Integrated Passenger Transport Authority, a regional strategic body.

A damning report published last week by the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, Increasing Passenger Rail Capacity confirmed the situation is set to get worse for peak time journeys.

The committee's chair, Labour MP Margaret Hodge, says she was troubled by the findings that the Department for Transport has fallen behind on its procurement targets.

"It is very depressing that in London we think that there will be 15 per cent fewer extra places that had been planned by 2014, and in the rest of the country, mainly urban areas, where the congestion takes place, there will be a third fewer extra places than originally planned by 2014. That's a heck of lot less additional places than had been planned for ^9bn of investment".

Virgin chief executive Tony Collins says his company is already being effectively forced to price passengers off some of its peak time services. He says the company's trains now carry 28 million passenger journeys per year, up from 14 million six years ago.

But with only two years left to run of its franchise, he says he cannot justify investing in new rolling stock. This leaves few options to manage levels of overcrowding which he acknowledges are "unacceptable":

"We introduced 30 per cent more services two years ago, and our value for money rating went up because we were able to smooth the demand by offering much more attractive pricing. But obviously as services get busier, then the only way of controlling the busy service is through pricing. We'd much prefer to put more capacity in and attract even more people to travel rather than having to price people off the trains."

Train companies have control over their peak time fares and are able to set their charges according to what they think the market can bear. The government controls off peak prices and has already announced they will go up.

The Transport Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC that he would soon set out government plans to address the overcrowding issue. He insisted that reform will ensure Britain's railways do more, for less.

"We need to look at the whole structure of the industry, how the franchises are let, we need to look at train operators' work, we need to look at how Network Rail does its work and delivers efficiency in its programme," he said. "We need to look at the role of my department. At the moment I have got civil servants here specifying which trains and which carriages have to be used at which times on which franchise. That does not seem to be the most obviously sensible way to run a railway.

He acknowledged that making the railway "fit for the future and affordable for passengers and taxpayers" was the "number one challenge" facing his department. He is expected to announce detailed proposals before the end of November.

I am always amazed that a place such as Hungerford has no ticket office.  Does not even have any station building.  If anyone wants to see what the future might be like take a trip in a DOO turbo from Reading to Bedwyn.

how much money would be saved if these people were not employed to do such studies

maybe im over simplifying here... but doesn't cutting jobs when there are no jobs = more people on job seekers and less money going into shops?

they should open more ticket offices to get people into work

Or they will just get on the trains without a ticket...

Government mantra ................ the private sector will provide jobs

Nice to see Folkestone Harbour included in the list.  When did it last see a scheduled passenger train?

Taking all these factors into account, the Study recommends that TOCs should consider

.. the closure of all Category E station ticket offices;

.. reducing the opening hours at Category D station ticket offices;

etc etc...

Transport secretary Justine Greening to review rail fares in official response to McNulty rail industry report

Campaigners fear increases in peak fares could force commuters off trains while unions warn local stations may close if the government endorses plans to cut costs by changing the way the industry is run.

The transport secretary, Justine Greening, will set the direction of travel for the railways on Thursday with her official response to the McNulty review of the industry. She will also announce a new look at rail fares and a consultation on devolving powers over the network to local authorities.

The report by Sir Roy McNulty last year concluded that rail operating costs in Britain were 20%-30% higher than they should be and identified automatic ticketing and cutting staff on trains as potential savings. The government is expected broadly to endorse the proposals, which include sacrificing some ticket offices. Unions believe this could lead to station closures, job losses and higher fares.

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA union, said: "If the local booking office goes, then the station will not be far behind. This will amount to a mini-Beeching with hundreds of stations in rural areas facing the threat of long-termclosure."

The Campaign for Better Transport has sounded alarm over fares, given McNulty's recommendation that the system should better manage peak demand by charging more for the busiest trains. Passengers already face fare rises 3% above inflation next year. Chief executive Stephen Joseph warned that many commuters have inflexible work times or commitments like childcare or school runs. Research suggested higher fares would have only a marginal impact on when people travelled.

He said: "If people could change their commute times easily, they would have done so by now to avoid having to stand on crowded trains. Raising the prices will simply create political opposition, price people on lower incomes off trains and make little difference to overcrowding."

Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle said: "Plans to give train companies even greater freedoms to hike rail fares, close ticket offices and provide fewer staff on trains and at stations show just how out of touch ministers are with passengers and commuters.

Labour also warned against the government hastening the "deep alliances" that Network Rail has announced with train operators in the wake of McNulty in an attempt to work more closely together and drive down costs. Network Rail says the alliances, where train and track management will share regional offices, will "better align incentives and see quicker, more joined-up, decision making".

However, the RMT union says the plans mean "mini-Railtracks" and critics believe operators will in effect take control. Eagle said: "The same private companies who are already raking in large profits in an industry that receives ^4bn of taxpayers' money every year are for the first time set to be given the whip hand over infrastructure as well as services."

The third strand of the government's rail reform package will be a consultation on devolving power over local railways to regional transport bodies ^ potentially opening up more of the country to the kind of integrated ticketing and services delivered in the capital by Transport for London now.

There was better news for part-time workers or parents working flexible hours. The government is indicating that it wants to see part-time commuter season tickets, offering discounts for regular passengers on the same journey who may not keep daily hours. In addition, Oyster-style smart ticketing is likely to be demanded from operators on future franchises. Rail minister Theresa Villiers said the technology offered the "potential for more flexible season tickets better suited to modern working practices".

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA union, said: "If the local booking office goes, then the station will not be far behind. This will amount to a mini-Beeching with hundreds of stations in rural areas facing the threat of long-term closure."

Absolutely rubbish. There are plenty of stations without ticket offices that haven't closed. In fact, there are plenty of stations that SHOULD close that haven't closed!

Whilst, I think it is a shame that ticket offices close, online ticket sales and smartcards will render them redundant over the next decade apart from at major stations.

Fare rises at peak times - worrying.

The Department for Transport has been revealed to be planning to close some ticket offices at smaller stations, as part of its plan to reduce railway costs, even though a consultation is under way.

But leaked emails reveal that it is holding back on admitting the closures, while negotiations continue with at least one operator. The DfT is also hoping to make the operators seem responsible for the cutbacks, which have already sparked a wave of public opposition.

The emails, which were revealed by the BBC and have been seen by Railnews, disclose that talks are well under way with London Midland, and that 'the Minister' (Theresa Villiers) has given her approval.

However, in public the Department is still maintaining that no decisions have been made. One of the emails, from a member of DfT staff in the Department's Rail Fares and Ticketing Review unit, even praises a press officer for implying that the operators are responsible, saying that: 'your way of slipping in there that the initiative comes from TOCs not us is very neat'.

When questioned about the emails, transport minister Norman Baker said the civil servant concerned was 'junior', and had jumped the gun, and maintained that no decisions had been made.

When she launched the Command Paper at the end of March, transport secretary Justine Greening said she was targeting railway costs of up to ^3.5 billion a year. The Paper followed Sir Roy McNulty's recommendations that operators should take a critical look at station staffing, and in particular that the ticket offices at Category E stations should be considered for closure. He also said that the opening hours at Category D stations should be reduced.

This proposal, which is proving to be one of the most controversial from McNulty, was not included in the summary report given to the media when the document was published last May, and only appears on page 208 of the 'detailed report', which was issued afterwards.

The ITSO smartcard trials have used stations without barriers and I am not aware of problems - as with ungated TfL stations passengers have to swipe in and out or get a big bill.

c) Can we please cut the hyperbole? It's really starting to get on my tits and I doubt I'm the only one.

c) Can we please cut the hyperbole? It's really starting to get on my tits and I doubt I'm the only one.

+1.

What also gets on my nerves is the selective rewriting, random quotes from other articles and no delineation between quoted text and personal opinion.

Theresa May is about to sign a death warrant for scores of ticket offices across the London Midland network.

As much as Theresa May might look favourably on the opportunity to issue death warrants, she is the Home Secretary after all, I doubt they would have railway ticket offices as the unfortunate recipients.

Touch in and touch out only became an issue when TfL insisted on PAYG on heavy rail - it was pushed onto TOCs who pointed out the problems that would be caused with passengers who didnt understand the rules.

Didn't SWT go through exactly the same procedures as this only a couple of years ago?  That was also the subject of much TSSA generated media coverage - but what actually happened at the end - not much if I recall.

Travel centres were closed at places like Southampton, Salisbury, Woking, Basingstoke....

Everything you could do at their travel centres is still available at the relevant station's counters.