Trains: A call for use of overcrowding warning system

Minister urges operators to help passengers avoid overcrowded trains by using traffic light warning systems.

12:19 27 August 2013

Rail Minister Norman Baker has urged train operators to be more transparent when it comes to overcrowded trains to help passengers make informed decisions especially during rush hour. He suggested highlighting crowded trains on their timetables to give passengers the chance to choose alternative services. He wants companies to use simple red, amber, and green traffic light system that is being used by London Midland to show which trains are the busiest.

He said, as reported by The Telegraph: “Publication of train-by-train crowding information is, in the short term, an important tool for allowing passengers to make informed choices about which trains to travel on, and convincing those passengers who can change their travel patterns to do so.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies said, as referred to in the same report by The Telegraph: "As train companies, we want our passengers to enjoy a comfortable journey, which is why many operators already provide information about which services are busiest. Compared to the mid-90s, there are now 4,000 more services a day but we will continue working with the DfT to get longer and more frequent trains on to the railway."