Statistics published by ORR this week suggest that FGW operate the most overcrowded services in the country by a large margin, with morning peak services into Paddington carrying on average 18.5% of passengers in excess of capacity (PiXC) in autumn 2010, with some around 50%. The corresponding PiXC figure for the next most overcrowded flow into Liverpool St is 4.9% passengers in excess of capacity on average.
So what is DfT doing about it ? Precious little in the short or medium term as far as I can see, with none of the recent reallocations of stock having any bearing on the flows to/from Paddington. Nor can I see that rumoured transfer of three(?) Class 180s back to FGW making much impact as 59% of ALL trains are over capacity in the morning rush hour, many of them HSTs from Reading and points west. Crossrail from Maidenhead will not ease the situation. I can see little propect of any improvement until electrification and IEPs arrive in 2017 (maybe).
David