Commuter pays £6,000 a year for seat in 'cleaning cupboard'

A commuter who spends £6,000 on an annual train ticket is forced to sit in a cleaning cupboard - because of overcrowding.

The City worker, who has commuted from Ipswich to London Liverpool Street for the last 17 years, goes in with the mop and bucket just so he can take sit down.


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Speaking to the Daily Mail, the man, who doesn't want to be named, said: "I can usually get an official seat on the way in to London during the morning rush hour. But in the evening the train I catch is usually so full there's no space.

"I found this little spot some time ago and I use it quite often. No one seems to mind but it isn't great."

An Abellio Greater Anglia spokesman said the cabin he sits in was technically the crew compartment and houses the intercom for the senior conductor.

The spokesman added that the compartments are in the process of being removed from carriages, increasing the capacity from 24 first class seats to 54 standard class seats.

A spokesman told the Daily Telegraph: "Two of the seven vehicles of this type operating have already been converted and on completion of the programme later this year, this will provide over 600,000 more standard seats a year (or 2,500 more seats a day) on our intercity services.

"We are also continuing to work with regional stakeholders as part of the Great Eastern Main Line Taskforce in making the case for the investment in infrastructure and new rolling stock that we all wish to see."

Ipswich MP Ben Gummer said: "This shows exactly why we need to see hundreds of millions of pounds invested in new rolling stock and new track. It is not right that people who pay a large amount for season tickets should feel the need to sit somewhere like this."