London - Campaigners have named the 10 most overcrowded train services in Britain, with the 7:59 am between Durham and Newcastle taking its place in the pantheon of commuter horrors as the worst of all.

The 20 km stretch, which runs at 88 percent overcapacity, was named and shamed by Transport 2000, a pressure group that encourages people to use public transport, cycle or walk instead of driving.

Second was the 7:18 am from Cambridge to London's Liverpool Street and third was the 7:53 am from Eccleston Park, Merseyside, to Liverpool's Lime Street.

Julia Thomas, Transport 2000's public transport campaigner, said government policy was responsible for much of the congestion.

"It's very easy to blame rail operators for overcrowding problems," she said. "But actually a lot of it is down to the government's rail policy.

"They have issued 'no growth' franchises for the past 10 years and they've been promoting a policy of fares hikes to get people to travel off-peak, but passengers really don't have that much flexibility.

"In addition, the very short time periods covered by franchise agreements does not encourage any infrastructure investment by the rail operators."

Transport 2000 compiled the top 10 using official data for the railways in England and Wales.

The group will collect evidence of overcrowding during the next two weeks and present its findings to Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander.

Campaigners will keep an Internet journal or blog at www.sardineman.org.uk.

Here is their top 10:

1) Durham to Newcastle - 7:59 am train. (88 percent over capacity)

2) Cambridge to Liverpool Street - 7:18 am (85 pct)

3) Eccleston Park to Lime Street - 7:53 am (85 pct)

4) Cardiff to Maesteg - 5:21 pm (78 pct) 5) Humphrey Park to Manchester Oxford Road - 8:14 am (75 pct)

6) Morpeth to Newcastle - 8 am (58 pct)

7) Barnsley to Leeds - 7:31 am (57 pct)

8) Sheffield to Leeds - 7:14 am (53 pct)

9) Sutton, Surrey, to Luton - 4:33 pm (50 pct)

10) Northampton to Birmingham New Street - 7:26 am (45 pct)