More and more commuters are suffering on overcrowded trains
Londoners are increasingly subject to overcrowding on trains, according to new data released by the Office for National Statistics.
The data, released today, shows more and more commuters are having to get trains that are overcrowded, with routes into Blackfriars, Moorgate, Fenchurch Street and St. Pancras particularly crowded.
Overcrowding occurs when the number of passengers on a train is greater than the capacity of the train.
The ONS data also found that London has the highest level of morning peak crowding of all major cities, with 5.8 per cent of trains overcrowded.
Read more: Britain's most overcrowded trains
This compares to Manchester, the next highest city, with 3.7 per cent of trains over-crowded in the morning peak.
A total of 155,000 passengers had to stand on trains arriving into London in the morning peak on a typical day in 2015, an increase on the 139,000 recorded in autumn 2014.
Afternoon peak was highest in Leicester with 3.6 per cent, followed by London with 2.8 per cent.
Read more: Seven out of 10 most overcrowded trains in Britain go to London
Commenting on the news, Keith Tilley, executive vice president at Sungard Availability Services, a managed services provider that works with businesses to help meet their IT needs, said: “In today’s modern age it’s simply unacceptable that UK businesses could be affected in this way by public transport, but with a lack of action on this so far businesses must take the lead.
“Organisations need to look at developing new working practices. In 2016, is it still necessary for employees to waste hours struggling through crowds and cancelled trains to reach the office?
“The adoption of cloud computing and other technologies is critical in unlocking employee productivity regardless of time or place. If the workforce can access business critical information securely from any device or location this would reduce the impact of any disruption.”