'I've sat on train floors' - transport secretary

The transport secretary has said she has sat on the floors of overcrowded trains as she vowed to improve the rail network.

When asked about delays and overcrowding on the railways, Heidi Alexander told BBC Radio Wiltshire: "I've had this problem myself to be honest.

"I am on trains a lot and I've sat on the floor on a couple of occasions," the South Swindon MP added. "As Secretary of State, I've sat on the floor on a Great Western train from Paddington to Swindon."

She said managing driver and train crew availability was key to solving the problem alongside having a sufficient number of carriages on services. Great Western Railway has been contacted for comment.

Great Western Railway is among the four operators named in the government's plan to nationalise nearly all rail services in England.

Launched earlier this year and expected to finish in 2027, the nationalisation process comes under the Rail Public Ownership Bill, which was passed by the government when Labour came to power last year.

Heidi Alexander said it was a "priority" to address people's concerns about trains

The government claims the move will "end years of fragmentation, driving up standards for passengers, and making journey easier and better value for money".

Shadow transport minister Jerome Mayhew previously said he feared that nationalisation would end up costing taxpayers more money in increased costs for leasing rolling stock.

"The government is risking this successful operation for ideological reasons," he said.

Heidi Alexander said the Labour government was addressing overcrowding on trains

Overcrowding on trains in the UK is not a new issue. In 2024, train passengers reported fainting on busy services while passengers quizzed rail bosses over the issue in 2023.

Ms Alexander said it was "really important" for passengers to have a "comfortable journey".

"We'll be doing more work on that as Great Western comes into public ownership," she added.

She said overcrowding is sometimes caused by trains on "short formations" - for example, where there is a "five-car train as opposed to a longer train turning up".

"The government is writing a new rolling stock strategy [an industry term for the train carriages]," she said.

• Heidi Alexander was speaking to BBC Radio Wiltshire as part of the Bring Out The Boss series and also shared her views on a proposal to revoke planning consent for a tunnel to be built near Stonehenge and reacted the stabbing of the stabbing of an 18-year-old in north Swindon. Listen to the full interview here.