A PREGNANT commuter has labelled the overcrowding on trains between Worcester and Birmingham as “absolutely disgusting” after she was crammed into a packed carriage and forced to stand.

The Worcester mum-to-be, who did not agree to be named but is seven months pregnant, said she had “nowhere to hold onto” and “nearly had someone fall into me three times” as the train stopped during her commute last week.

She said another passenger was stood on crutches while a man “sat in the special assistance seat [and] saw but ignored” them both.

“The conductor didn’t even apologise or announce for anyone to give up their seat for anyone who needs it, which they sometimes do.

“Completely unacceptable,” she added.

The woman went on to say she does the commute every day and while that was the worst it’s been, “every night this week” the train has arrived into the city 10-15 minutes late “because it runs slow with no explanations”.

Another Worcester News reader said the additional carriages are not being implemented on the “critical” two-coach train at 3.15pm from New Street to Hereford and the opposite service at 5.39pm.

West Midlands Railway head of customer experience, Richard Brooks, has moved to reassure train users action is being taken to address the delay in adding more carriages.

“Due to delays in receiving additional carriages, some trains serving Hereford and Worcester in recent months have been shorter than we would like,” he said.

“We are taking action to address this and introduced additional capacity on the route last week, with more to follow in December.”

Referring to the pregnant woman’s complaint, he said: “We have designated ‘priority seating’ areas for our customers who are less able to stand. We rely on the co-operation of passengers to make these seats available to those who need them.”

Another spokesman for WMR said a customer’s claims that in some cases the new carriages are being used to replace older ones rather than being added alongside them is unlikely.

“I am told the existing trains on the route come in either two-carriage or three-carriage formations,” he said.

“It is therefore possible that on a given day a two-carriage train could have had an additional Class 153 carriage added onto it, making a three-carriage train, which may have prompted the comments.” MP Robin Walker has said WMR had “done themselves no favours” by not honouring their commitment to specific services.