Most Consistently Busy Passenger Route

[Mutant Lemming]

Every line has it's rush hours but which line (apart from the underground) is the most consistently busy round the clock? On Saturday night the 22:48 Bedford service out of St Pancras was standing room only and often the later trains are too. From personal experience I would think it is the Northern Thameslink service but is there a route that is busier round the clock?

 

[wintonian]

Every line has it's rush hours but which line (apart from the underground) is the most consistently busy round the clock? On Saturday night the 22:48 Bedford service out of St Pancras was standing room only and often the later trains are too. From personal experience I would think it is the Northern Thameslink service but is there a route that is busier round the clock?

The 00:05 and 01:05 from Waterloo can be standing room only or sit next to the drunk guy whos about to puke.

 

[317666]

I would say that the Cambridge - Kings Cross express service would have to qualify - even the 06:45 in the morning from Cambridge on a Saturday is relatively busy, the 10:15 is a nightmare, and coming out of London in the evening the trains remain busy until the last one.

 

[Burkitt]

Paddington to Oxford trains are always packed whenever I've been on them, weekday, Saturday, Sunday. Chiltern are on to a good thing with their planned services to Oxford from Marylebone.

 

[Eric]

The 17:26 Leeds - Skipton should easily make the top ten.

 

[NSE]

I would say that the Cambridge - Kings Cross express service would have to qualify - even the 06:45 in the morning from Cambridge on a Saturday is relatively busy, the 10:15 is a nightmare, and coming out of London in the evening the trains remain busy until the last one.

Yeah I second that. It's a bum fight for seats fairly frequently off peak.

 

[callum112233]

The Manchester Victoria-Huddersfield can be quite busy, even in off peak hours.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

the 23:29 from Bath Spa is full and standing (Ex-[stn]BRI[/stn] service) on Saturday nights through to Trowbridge, only formed of a 2 car 150. In fact it pars with the loading of the 1644 peak hour service (also a sole 150) which is always full and standing.

I also have used the 0130 odds (IIRC) St Pancras to Bedford, and that was pretty well loaded, not full and standing but very little seating left

 

[bb21]

Every line has it's rush hours but which line (apart from the underground) is the most consistently busy round the clock? On Saturday night the 22:48 Bedford service out of St Pancras was standing room only and often the later trains are too. From personal experience I would think it is the Northern Thameslink service but is there a route that is busier round the clock?

I nominate the 2225 St Pancras - Derby service on a Saturday. It's the last northbound intercity service yet is usually full and standing until at least Luton. After Bedford more than 2/3 of the passengers would have left.

I tend not to find it amusing if I get to the station too late and am travelling long-haul.

The 00:05 and 01:05 from Waterloo can be standing room only or sit next to the drunk guy whos about to puke.

The 0105 used to be formed of 2 sets of 450, and can still be fully occupied upon leaving Waterloo on Saturdays, when I used it. The situation improves greatly after Guildford Guildford.

There used to be a 0142 Strawberry Hill service after the 0105. Nowadays the 0142 no longer runs, I can only see the situation being worse than it used to.

 

[wintonian]

The 0105 used to be formed of 2 sets of 450, and can still be fully occupied upon leaving Waterloo on Saturdays, when I used it. The situation improves greatly after Guildford.

There used to be a 0142 Strawberry Hill service after the 0105. Nowadays the 0142 no longer runs, I can only see the situation being worse than it used to.

the 01:05 goes to Southampton Central arr at 02:56

Stopping at places like Wimbledon and Surbiton I find if it is rammed you can usually find a seat after Woking and lots of them after Basingstoke.

 

[Lrd]

I caught a late night train from Waterloo (think it was 0035) to Southampton on a Monday night/Tuesday morning and wondered why it was a 10 car 444, luckily it was Bank Holiday and was empty so I had a whole coach to myself, no doubt it would have been busy every other night.

 

[wintonian]

I caught a late night train from Waterloo (think it was 0035) to Southampton on a Monday night/Tuesday morning and wondered why it was a 10 car 444, luckily it was Bank Holiday and was empty so I had a whole coach to myself, no doubt it would have been busy every other night.

On a Friday don't bother getting a train from Waterloo in that direction after 16:00 ish unless you want to join in the rugby scrum for the barriers to get a seat.

 

[bb21]

the 01:05 goes to Southampton Central arr at 02:56

Stopping at places like Wimbledon and Surbiton I find if it is rammed you can usually find a seat after Woking and lots of them after Basingstoke.

Haha, I meant Wokng, of course, not Guildford. Not the best time of the day for me.

 

[bAzTNM]

In Glasgow, I'd have to say that Rutherglen to Glasgow Central is always mobbed, all times of the day.

 

[Drsatan]

The 18:20 from Waterloo to Exeter St Davids (formed of three 159s, although only the front one carries onto Exeter) is full and standing from Clapham Junction onwards.

 

[Robinson]

From my experience XC trains on the Manchester-Bournemouth route are always rammed, at least between Birmingham and Reading.

 

[northwichcat]

Manchester-Huddersfield-Leeds and Manchester-Bolton both have standing at off peak times. Manchester-Warrington-Liverpool and Manchester-Stockport-Sheffield can get fairly busy at off peak times too.

 

[Robinson]

Manchester-Huddersfield-Leeds and Manchester-Bolton both have standing at off peak times. Manchester-Warrington-Liverpool and Manchester-Stockport-Sheffield can get fairly busy at off peak times too.

I remember that well, as I spent 6 years at boarding school in Manchester travelling home to Scotland every holiday; TPE Blackpool trains always seemed to have 1st class declassified at least to Chorley.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, the trans-pennine core would get my vote as well.

 

[anthony263]

17:10 Swansea - Cardiff Central - always full and standing, causing delays as people try to get off at places such as Llansamlet & Skewen. The 17:05 Swansea - Milford Haven service is always busy to at least Whitland although it seems to have reduced slightly now there is a departure to Carmarthen at 17:35.

 

[150222]

Trains between Manchester and Rochdale are always full if formed of any less than 3 cars. TPE Leeds to Manchester and Manchester to Bolton. Entire XC network.

 

[Temple Meads]

Rush hour trains from Bristol Temple Meads to Bath Spa, specifically 158 hauled ones are like cattle trucks.

 

[northwichcat]

Trains between Manchester and Rochdale are always full if formed of any less than 3 cars.

Really? I've seen 2 car 155s and 158s arrive at Victoria from Leeds at off peak times with less then 20 people on board.

 

[Greenback]

17:10 Swansea - Cardiff Central - always full and standing, causing delays as people try to get off at places such as Llansamlet & Skewen. The 17:05 Swansea - Milford Haven service is always busy to at least Whitland although it seems to have reduced slightly now there is a departure to Carmarthen at 17:35.

I regularly catch the 1705 and it is horrendous. There ar eusually at least 10 people in each vestibule, as well as others standing along the carriages. This is with a 3 car, if a 2 car turnss up I don;t even try and get on!

A lot of people ge toff at Gowerton and Llanelli, including me, so I can't comment on how full it is after that.

 

[142094]

Huddersfield - Man Vic locals are always full.

Increasingly these days as well, during the morning and evening peak, the Metro is full and standing on most of the network.

 

[jopsuk]

Yeah I second that. It's a bum fight for seats fairly frequently off peak.

I've caught last or near-last trains northbound out of Kings Cross to Cambridge (these are not non-stop mind) that are full, standing and 8 cars.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

To take this on a slight tangent, how much busier are the Cambridge to Kings Cross trains compared to the Cambridge to Liverpool Street trains? I know Kings Cross gives a faster journey time between Cambridge and London, but if you work in the city then you would probably have to catch the tube once you arrive at Kings Cross, whereas you could walk to the office if you arrived at Liverpool Street so the "door to door" time evens out somewhat. Surely this tempts a lot of people onto the NXEA trains?

 

[jopsuk]

it's hard to compare- especially during the day (not late evening) when the Express services run fast from Cambridge to Kings Cross- the Liverpool Street services are usually busier at the southern end of the route from my (off peak) experience.

 

[pmgarvey]

Only done it once offpeak but the Kings Cross service was well loaded but not full and standing by any stretch of the term

 

[317666]

I have used both routes regularly outside the peaks - the Kings Cross expresses normally have a fair amount of people standing up, the Liverpool Street services are empty until they reach Audley End and/or Bishops Stortford, at which point they start to become busier. However if a Liverpool Street service is 8 cars outside of the peaks, then normally they don't seem to be too busy. Either way, I prefer to go to Liverpool Street (although this is due to the traction!).