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Which is the busiest train you have ever been on?

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JDi

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This evening I was on a train that was so busy that I had to stand for most of the journey - squashed amongst others. Whatsmore, it's a Saturday night and a lot of my fellow passengers looked like they had ample liquid refreshment before boarding!....

It was quite an atmosphere!

Excluding the London Underground or any city metro/tram service, what is the busiest/noisiest train journey you have ever been on?
 
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TheNewNo2

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First Great Western Sunday evening HST from somewhere to London. I got on at Swindon and it was crush-loaded the entire way.

Of course there have also been several trains I didn't get on because they were crush-loaded, and I instead just gave up and went home again.
 

ComUtoR

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So busy the train couldn't move because it was actually 'crush loaded' The unit didn't even leave the station.
 

yorksrob

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I've been on trains that have been so busy the driver couldn't get on. The two contenders are:

20:30 Man Vic to Leeds on a Saturday or
22:17 Leeds - Sheffield via Barnsley on a bank holiday Sunday.
 

Tracked

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In the "good" old days of Northern Spirit I had the pleasure of trying to get on a single 153 from Rotherham-Doncaster at 17:35 on a Friday night. We were nearly sitting on the drivers' knee, though we did make it to Doncaster it was one of those "how did they ever think this would be a good idea?" moments.

Wonder what happened to the company behind Northern Spirit ... :|

(there was the other incident where they had a 2-car 142 and a 3-car 144 on the same service, but locked out the 144 until a few people on Rotherham station started objecting to cramming onto the 142).
 

AlterEgo

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A relief single Super Voyager rescuing a full and standing 9-car Pendolino at Weedon. I was staff at the time and three of us had to travel in the rear cab because it was just that cramped.
 

class387

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A single 365 on the first GN service from Kings Cross after Storm Doris.
 

furnessvale

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After the derailment of an EMU somewhere near Wembley some years ago, Euston was shut in the evening rush hour. Passengers for the north were told to go to St Pancras where a single relief train composed of a 47 with an entire rake of BSKs awaited.

The thousands descended upon this rake. I managed to get in a cage with seemingly hundreds of others and had a happy trip to Crewe, pressed hard against the mesh.

I forgot to add that there was no moaning going on. Everybody knew why Euston was shut, and I think persons had died, and quietly accepted the situation.
 
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306024

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A four car 321 from Shenfield on 11/09/01. Canary Wharf had been evacuated after the twin tower attack, but the off peak formations were running as there hadn’t been time for any emergency strengthening.
 

PHILIPE

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Great Western trains out of Paddington on a Friday evening.
Some ATW trains from Cardiff Valleys on the morning commute where you can't even get on.
 

Ianno87

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Travelling in the guards van of a 101 on a trip from Lostock to Manchester some years back.

Boarding a Blackpool-bound 175 at Lostock on Good Friday 2002.

And a HST diverted via the Joint Line when the wires came down at Retford back in April.
 

Dhassell

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Some of the Class 455's I have been on between Clapham Junction and Waterloo have been ram packed!
I had a rather busy service from London Marylebone to Oxford a few weeks ago when Spurs were playing at Wembley and all GWR passengers were heading that way due to engineering works.
 

Lrd

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The first London Midland Birmingham train out of Euston on a Sunday morning. It was a 4 car 350 and there was cricket on in Brum, the entire train was full and standing, crush loaded, even in first class. I had to leave at Watford and get the next train 30 mins later as I couldn't handle it.
 

godfreycomplex

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Rome Metro - Line A - Christmas 2005
It was a few Sundays before Christmas and new trains were being introduced at the time. They were withdrawn from service en masse if memory serves; and the old stock brought back. There were no trains for half an hour (5 minute frequency) and when one (in scrap condition; even by Italian standards) turned up it was a struggle to breathe - let alone move (the fact that everyone seemed to have just done their Christmas shopping didn't exactly help matter). Must have been about 100 to a 15 metre carriage.
 

Peter Mugridge

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This evening I was on a train that was so busy that I had to stand for most of the journey - squashed amongst others. Whatsmore, it's a Saturday night and a lot of my fellow passengers looked like they had ample liquid refreshment before boarding!....

It was quite an atmosphere!

Excluding the London Underground or any city metro/tram service, what is the busiest/noisiest train journey you have ever been on?

Anything out of Waterloo in the evening peak is like that, minus the drunks you mention ( who shouldn't really have been allowed onto the station in the first place, let alone the train ).
 

godfreycomplex

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Anything out of Waterloo in the evening peak is like that, minus the drunks you mention ( who shouldn't really have been allowed onto the station in the first place, let alone the train ).
Better happy drunks than belligerent commuters any day of the week for me; but that's a side point
 

Welly

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I once had to get into Lincoln on a single 153 one Xmas Market Saturday. It was so rampacked with people that passengers had to ride in the front cab!
 

91109

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I boarded a XC service to Wakefield from Newcastle on a Friday once. Never again.
 

Andyh82

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When ATN used to sometimes turn out single 153s on peak hour services out of Sheffield. Particularly unlucky if the vestibule you got to stand in was the small one.
 

LOL The Irony

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The service to Chester after the Olympic torch had gone through Knutsford. The train was a 2 car pacer and we since it was arriving, we all rushed on without getting a ticket at the office. The train was so full, by the time I got off a Greenbank, I still didn't have a ticket. The train was so full, the guard couldn't move through the train. So basically bad planning on Northern's behalf.
 

rg177

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Two instances stick out to me-

1. The Leeds to Goole service threw out 150205 working solo which meant that 10 minutes before departure, the doors were locked shut due to us being so full. Cue the guard getting tirades of abuse! Some Woodlesford passengers were asked to get off and were placed in the rear cab.

2. A single 319 at rush hour through the Thameslink Core after the job had stopped for half an hour with a train fault. We were cosy after Blackfriars, full and standing from City Thameslink, and crush loaded after Farringdon where I actually nudged a bloke back off the train as he elbowed me in the ribs to force his way on! Thankfully I was off at St Pancras.
 

pdeaves

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Pretty much any XC train between Coventry and Oxford (and vice versa). My last journey had 21 in the vestibule. Others may have been busier but this was the first time I decided to count.
 

30907

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Any down train at West Dulwich running 4v8 EPB when the college had a non-standard finish. Though at least some of the passengers were small... Even worse was a crushloaded 10EPB on the SE that stood at New Cross for ages one evening at the Reversible platform,
 

AM9

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Back in the '70s with the GE MKI suburban EMU stock, about half of the seats were in non-corridor six per side compartments. It wasn't unusual for there to be a few passengers standing in the peaks carefully avoiding the 24 legs and feet of the seated passenegers. During Ray Buckton's 'work to rule's (early '70s), on more than one occasion there would be two or three 8/12-car class 305/308 sets cancelled - owing to having safety critical defects such as broken coathooks etc., - eventually a single 4-car set would arrive at Liverpool St. with 2-3 trains worth of commuters on the platform trying to get on it. I remember one occasion boarding and being one of 12 standees. At the first stop, (Chelmsford) about half of the standees had to step out onto the platform otherwise those wanting to get off couldn't even stand up.* At the time there was a repot of one compartment travelling with 18 standees although it may have been on an SR service.
* It always seemed that those making the shortest journeys took all the seats.
 

Tetchytyke

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1819 London-Newcastle on any Bank Holiday Friday. Every time, without fail, it is full and standing to York and often as far as Darlington.
 

Kite159

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A Tweedbank - Edinburgh service yesterday morning

Full & standing after Galashiels, rammed packed by Newtongrange, leaving passengers behind for the service 30 minutes later.
 

Parallel

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For me, it was a Class 175 heading towards Cardiff on Rugby Match day a few years ago. I don't keep up to date with sports and having come off the Cambrian Coast, I didn't suspect anything. Then I realised at Shrewsbury. 2-car 175 (vice 3 car) turned up with standing room only at Shrewsbury, and we still had Church Stretton, Craven Arms, Ludlow, Leominster, Hereford, Abergavenny, Pontypool, Cwmbran and Newport to go. By Hereford, it was completely crushloaded, and after Pontypool was probably one of the only times I've been concerned for my safety on a train. There were people crammed everywhere, it was difficult to breathe, there were about 7 people standing in the small toilet. Everyone was getting crushed
 

Hadders

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I've been on loads of packed trains but a couple of recent-ish journeys stand out:

The 1753 Kings Cross - Stevenage one hot summer evening in 2015. The 1742 12-car train (that's usually full and standing when it leaves KGX) was cancelled so a total of 20 carriages worth of Stevenage passengers ended up on the 8-car 365 operated 1753.

A double 153 between Coventry and Coventry Arena when there was a rugby match on. Completely wedged.
 

ChiefPlanner

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Special 313 on an LUL strike day from Harrow to Euston (had the pleasure of being in the cab) - mega crushed and well down on the suspension , such that the driver had to brake early and harder at the station calls. That afternoon - we had a severe crush load on the Clapham - Willesden HL , such that I authorised passengers to ride in the rear cab , with another manager in attendance. 5 pax actually. They were thrilled , a class 117 too.

Thameslink over the years has given some serious crush loading. Snow and incidents usually.
 

Darandio

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A 185 last summer from Middlesbrough to York on race day coupled with Middlesbrough having a pre-season friendly at York. Managed to get on and grab a seat but ended up with my 9 year old in my lap and a strangers arse in my face the whole way, could hardly walk when i got off.

It was so rammed that even the first stop at Thornaby resulted in people being left on the platform and subsequently nobody could get on at Yarm, Northallerton or Thirsk.
 
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