Overcrowding on UK trains is set to increase by 2014 and beyond because the government has not increased passenger seating capacity, according to a new report.
The report from the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons says the Department for Transport's (DfT) latest plans show that targets for increasing the number of passenger places on trains by March 2014 will be missed.
The department was entrusted with a five-year, ВЈ9bn ($14bn) investment programme to improve rail travel in the country with measures including longer platforms, station improvements and more carriages.
Under the current plans, there will be 15% fewer extra places delivered to London trains and 33% fewer in other major cities, compared with earlier targets.
The report noted that rising demand for rail travel, combined with serious cuts in public expenditure, requires the rail industry to become more efficient to control overcrowding and improve travel.
The report recommended that the DfT require all new train carriages to be fitted with automatic passenger counting equipment to show how many people are travelling on what trains and when.
