A FED-UP rail passenger has complained about overcrowding and poor services.

Mrs Emma Crossland, of Lindley, described how on one journey the conductor continued squeezing people on the train until they were sitting on tables, each other's knees and standing in the lavatories.

The crush and lack of air had made one passenger vomit, she said.

Now Mrs Crossland, who suffers from asthma and claustrophobia, has complained to Arriva Trains Northern.

She uses the Arriva TransPennine service between Leeds and Huddersfield every day to get to work, and sometimes travels to Manchester. Often there were no seats or standing room in standard class.

Once she sat in an empty first class seat and was ordered to move into standard class by a conductor. She could not, so he made her stand in the first class even though there were empty seats.

"The performance of conductors is a disgrace," said Mrs Crossland. "It feels unsafe when you are squashed in and it's quite frightening. How would people get off in an emergency?

"I shouldn't have to pay £70 to experience this."

She has asked for a refund of her £70 railcard and £35 weekly pass she used to get to Manchester earlier this month. She also asked for a refund for her mother-in-law June Crossland, who went with her to Manchester on October 12.

Some services had been cancelled that day, so extra passengers crammed on to their train, which had only two carriages.

"The conductor continued squeezing people on," she said.

"People were sitting on tables, in the toilets and on each other's knees."

One passenger vomited because of the crush.

Mrs Crossland said she felt ill most days after travelling and put it down to stress from the journey.

Ray Price, managing director of Arriva Trains Northern, said Arriva had replied to Mrs Crossland's letter. He said conductors could allow standard class passengers to use first class carriages, but only when they were empty - recognising that first class ticket holders paid for the privilege.

He added: "We expect all of our employees to be courteous at all times to our customers.

Mrs Crossland has had cause to be unhappy with our services. I can assure her that the safety of our customers is always our main priority and we work hard to provide punctual and reliable services."

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