Richard J. wrote:

Mizter T wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote:

(snip)

If I was making the journey I would opt for the tube option as you
might get a seat as far out as Hounslow (possibly!) and then you
have a relatively easy change at Leicester Square and then a short
trip on the Northern from there when some of the crush that
boarded earlier might actually be getting off! Similarly in the
other direction boarding at Warren St to go south will not be too
bad and you might get a seat westbound at Leicester Square - the
back carriage is not a bad place to look!

(snip)

To expand on that last point a bit of advice so obvious I fear I'm
being incredibly patronising - however a lot of people still don't
latch on to it. IME most of the time it's worth heading for the
front
or back carriage when it's rush hour whether on the Tube or
overground train - you might not get a seat but you'll probably get
a bit more breathing room. Of course whether the front or the back
is best depends on where people enter the platform from at the
preceding stations further back down the line, but you can figure
that out over time.

I duly await being told that I've got it all wrong!

The only caveat I'd make is that in hot or even just mild weather, if
you choose the front car, you lose the benefit of having an open window
at the front of your car, which I find is the single most important
factor in achieving decent ventilation. (To a lesser extent, this also
applies to the rear car -- lack of extract capacity.) I always avoid
the front car during summer for that reason.


Very true, my earlier comments don't reflect that that's what I do too!
If possible I choose to sit/stand next to the leading end of a carriage
so I'm near the open window of the interconnecting door.