Rule change 'abolishes' overcrowding on trains

The Department for Transport, which has promised extra carriages, has rewritten the guidelines on the acceptable number of people standing.

Formerly, it was considered acceptable to have 10 people standing for every 100 seats. Under new guidelines it is all right to have 30 standing per 100 seats.

Train companies will be able to pack in more passengers without their services being labelled "overcrowded".

The news comes as commuters were warned of years of "cattle-truck" conditions despite inflation-busting fare rises. The National Audit Office said passengers would endure packed trains until 2014, when 1,300 extra carriages and longer platforms will be introduced.

It gave the warning after Centro, the public transport authority in the West Midlands, complained that the new definition of overcrowding would result in worse conditions that would force people off trains and into cars.

To date, only 423 of the 1,300 carriages have been ordered from the manufacturer and none has been delivered. A Department of Transport spokesman said he was unable to give details of when they would arrive but that they should be in place by 2014. At the same time, fares are rising to deter passengers from travelling on the most crowded trains.

A spokesman for the National Audit Office said: "Most passengers can expect to pay higher regulated and unregulated fares in the future."

The audit office highlighted how some tickets had jumped in price by 20 per cent. It also warned train companies could enjoy a "windfall of extra revenue" if income targets were not changed.

MPs said commuters would be angry at the failure to ease overcrowding more quickly under the Transport Department's £10 billion programme.

"The news that fares are likely to rise above inflation in these difficult times will infuriate many passengers who have no alternative but to travel day after day on packed trains," said Edward Leigh, chairman of the Commons public accounts committee.

"Rush-hour crowding is expected to increase, especially on lines into London, until 1,300 new carriages come on stream. For passengers, this increased capacity cannot come too soon." Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers added that too many passengers were still suffering "cattle class accommodation".

Most regulated fares, such as saver, peak-time and season tickets, have risen by inflation plus one per cent, under rules agreed between the train firms and Government. Next year bosses will be able to raise some fares by 6.3 per cent, as the Retail Price Index was 5.3 per cent in the summer. Companies also have a two per cent leeway on some fare increases.

Fares on Southeastern, which serves Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Victoria, could see 10 per cent rises. On top of inflation and the two per cent leeway, it is permitted a three per cent rise to pay for high-speed services on the Channel Tunnel link from Ashford into St Pancras, plus the two per cent flexibility.

The annual taxpayer subsidy to the railways is set to fall from £811 million to £326 million by 2011/12.

The Transport Department spokesman said: "Our plans will ensure that the rail network can cope with more than 20 per cent growth by 2014, on a network which will be even safer and more reliable."