Pushing in: commuters attempt to board an overcrowded train at Blackfriars station in London. Photograph: Guardian/Linda Nylind

Environmental campaigners today revealed Britain's 10 most overcrowded trains, with the 7.59am Durham to Newcastle service winning the cattle-service crown.

This train runs at a crushing 88% overcapacity and it's a similar story across the country with commuters packed on to trains often running at over 50% overcapacity, according to Transport 2000, whose "Sardine Man" will travel on the country's most congested routes and present his collected evidence to the transport minister, Douglas Alexander.

To long-suffering passengers this will hardly come a shock. Commuters are sick of standing up like sardines on overcrowded trains and paying higher and higher prices for the privilege.

The situation is set to get worse with traffic predicted to grow by 30% by 2020 and the government's 1000 new train carriages not set to come into service until at least the end of the decade.

We are encouraged to leave our cars at home, but many passengers feel trains are becoming an increasingly unattractive alternative. Should we just grimace into our fellow commuter's armpit and bear it?