Thread: Overcrowding
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Unread 22-11-2016, 23:03   #4
Colm Moore
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyBoy View Post
Does anybody know at what point trains would be considered to be dangerously overcrowded?
All the unsafe incidents I have seen on trains involved individuals or small groups engaged in anti-social behaviour or outright violence. On any train, or indeed most other places, drunkenness / rowdiness / intimidation / violence is much more threatening. Train travel is in the order of 10 to 100 times safer than car travel. I have never seen dangerous overcrowding.

DART carriages used to have 72 seats. They were 'full' when they had the equivalent number standing (total 144). They were over-full when they had twice that level standing (total 216), e.g. after World Cup match. I've only seen it at that level once. However, the mood was jovial, so there were no real problems. DART carriages now have fewer seats and more standing space (which also allows space for wheelchairs and prams).

All that said, a train carriage with more than 150 people in it can be rather cramped, especially on a cold wet morning where people aren't respecting the space of other people or aren't moving down the carriage / train. This can feel distinctly uncomfortable. A passenger etiquette campaign would be useful across a range of services and topics.
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