Great Western Coffee Shop

Train companies could be fined for running overcrowded trains on commuter routes in a bid to ease passenger misery, it is understood.

Ministers fear the current system offers little incentive for operators to ease packed services, which has caused profound problems for the region's operator, First Great Western (FGW). The Government has already unveiled plans to hand out longer franchises to give companies greater freedom and more incentive to improve services. One option being considered is to hand-out financial punishments to companies which exceed agreed passenger levels.

Train campaigners said the move would do little as fines would be passed on through increased fares, and in turn fail to get more carriages on the tracks. A Government source said: "We recognise people are fed up of paying ever more for increasingly overcrowded trains and we're determined to put in place reforms to change that. "We've had to put up fares in the short term, but in the next few years we want to improve the service and cut costs for passengers and taxpayers."

A final decision on whether to go ahead is expected to be announced by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond in a rail White Paper in the autumn.

The Government argues that operators are not tempted to buy new carriages when they can pocket the same amount in fares from packing passengers in to carriages.