The number of rail passengers travelling into cities in England and Wales has now overtaken pre-Covid levels – but changing work and travel patterns have eased overcrowding since then, official statistics show.

Almost 1.9 million people took trains into cities on a typical weekday last autumn – the highest figure since the records were first collated in 2010.

However, there were about 13% fewer passengers arriving during the morning peak than in 2019.

Arrivals into every station in London grew in the 12 months to autumn 2024, with particularly rapid growth at Paddington and Liverpool Street stations, both served by the Elizabeth line.

The data suggests the line, fully opened in 2023, has taken the pressure off other trains, with overcrowding in the capital down from 2019 levels.

However, trains into Birmingham are now matching London for the squeeze on commuters.

Five separate Thameslink and West Midland train services were now the most overcrowded according to the Department for Transport, with the 7.30am Bedford to Three Bridges having an 184% load factor – or almost twice as many passengers as seats – when it reached London St Pancras station.

Southwestern and Chiltern services made up the rest of the top 10 most overcrowded trains recorded by the DfT.

The DfT figures allow for standing capacity on many London commuter services, with almost one in four passengers standing on arrival in the morning.

It found that average overcrowding – or “passengers in excess of capacity” – on midweek (Tuesday to Thursday) morning arrivals had increased slightly in the last 12 months to 1.6%, a figure now matched by Birmingham, with Bristol and Sheffield ranking as the next most crowded stations, after rapid growth in rail commuting last year.

The total for cities outside London remains below pre-pandemic levels, at about 660,000 daily arrivals compared with 730,000 in 2019.

The DfT said while directly equivalent statistics on crowding were not available, British rail passenger numbers appeared to be recovering faster than those in France, Germany or Italy, with growth of 9% last year compared with 5-7% in the three biggest EU economies.

Public transport campaigners heralded the figures as underlining the return of rail, after the industry struggled during the pandemic as well as subsequent industrial unrest.

Ben Plowden of Campaign for Better Transport said: “Gloomy predictions for the future of rail at the time of the pandemic have proven wrong: rail is back in a big way, boosting our economy, keeping workers moving and saving our streets from gridlock.

“The fact that passenger arrivals are up while overcrowding is down is partly due to the huge success of the Elizabeth line. With more bold projects like this we could transform cities and improve daily life for vast numbers of people. An expanded rail network combined with more affordable fares could really bring about a rail revolution.”