A RAIL passenger has criticised train operators after he said it was “impossible” to comply with social distancing rules on a train.

Chris Singleton, 47, who commutes to London, boarded the 6.32am train from Wivenhoe yesterday.

He was left bemused by the Greater Anglia-run train which only had eight carriages. He said the lack of space made passengers “uncomfortable” and unable to social distance.

Chris added: “They only sent a reduced size train, it’s usually longer at about 12 or so carriages.

“Initially it was OK but from Witham you started to see people getting on, even more so at Chelmsford and Shenfield.

“There was no way there was enough space. You had four or five people crammed in the doorway, shuffling around trying to find space – there wasn’t any.

“There was no social distancing whatsoever. People were sat at different angles, trying their best to but you couldn’t fully open windows either.

“Everyone was trying to leave a chair between each other but it led to more people standing.

“You had somebody sat near enough on your shoulder.

“You could see people were really not happy or comfortable with the situation. It would’ve been fine if there was 12 carriages.”

A Greater Anglia spokesperson said: “We are working hard to keep people safe when they travel with us, including enhanced cleaning and sanitisation of trains and stations.

“We’re asking customers to use the entire length of platforms and trains in order to maximise the opportunity to socially distance.

“We have a less busy trains tool on our website so people can check which trains are quieter and opt to travel at a time when there are fewer other passengers.

“We’re operating about 82 per cent normal timetable and customer numbers – which are about one third of pre-pandemic levels - and travel patterns are monitored every day. We encourage customers with concerns to get in touch.”