The train manager on my train this evening described it as 'exceptionally crowded'.
I thought it seemed much like the last half dozen times I've caught it.
I'm thinking of emailing TPE to let them know about how you can make trains bigger, by adding carriages?
Sorry Arch, I'm afraid it's not that simple. A typical 4 car train will be made up of at least three different types of carriage, each with enough equipment (power units, fuel tanks for diesels, electrical kit for EMUs, etc.... and that's without considering the software) to function as a complete unit. It is possible to add a carriage to such a train but it's not a case of hooking it to the back and going; it's a significant piece of engineering and a permanent modification. The only way to make a train bigger is to add a whole new train.
I'm not defending any particular TOC and I'm not a trainspotter, but I do work in rolling stock design.
Well, I know that, I was going for comic effect.
And adding a whole extra train was exactly what they were doing, up to a few months ago. The train came into York, coupled to another at the platform, and we all got to Manchester without standing.
They even managed it the week before last, at Leeds. The train manager announced as we came into Leeds that, and I quote, "By some miracle, they've found another train..." and then cautioned us to hold tight if standing, as coupling up would involve a slight jolt.
The train back from Manchester was also a double, until the same time. Now, you've got two trainsworth of people, mostly weekenders going home, so carrying about 100 suitcases each, trying to get onto one train.
I assume the cut to one train was to do with money. After all, once they have our fares, they don't care if we sit or stand, and on that route there's not much choice of operator. It's that, get a bus (I've never looked into how many days that would take), or drive, which isn't useful to those of us without cars. So it's a nicely captive audience....