Rail passengers have clashed with Sir Richard Branson over plans for a shake-up of services to tackle chronic overcrowding.

Ministers ended a consultation yesterday on proposals to create more space on the Brighton to London line by axing the Gatwick Express.

The boss of Crawley-based Virgin Atlantic said axing the non-stop Gatwick Express service could spell disaster for the 2012 Olympics.

But lobby group Passenger Focus told The Argus the changes were vital.

Sharon Hedges, the group's link manager, said: "Passengers travelling on services from the South Coast are squeezed on to extremely crowded trains day after day, while the Gatwick Express runs on the same line half-empty.

"It is essential that changes are made and the capacity of the route is used for the benefit of the majority of passengers.

"We do not like having to make trade-offs between the reasonable needs of different groups of passengers.

"However, the tremendous pressures on this busy commuter route mean it is essential that something is done now to deal with crowding from the South Coast and in the extremely busy south London metro area."

Soaring demand for rail travel has seen a growing number of services bursting at the seams during rush hour.

Figures released last year showed that 5,833 of the 75,228 people crammed into Southern Trains carriages in the average week-day morning peak period were on trains already officially classed as full.

Of the 58,174 people travelling in the evening rush hour, 1,040 were suffering the same inconvenience.

First Capital Connect, which operates from Brighton to Bedford through London, carries 26,995 passengers in the mornings, of which 651 were classified as "excess" in the figures released in November last year Officials estimate the network will run out of capacity within 20 years unless drastic measures are adopted.

While insisting "fast, frequent"

trains between the airport and London would remain, the Government wants them to serve other stations in between.

Ms Hedges said: "Passenger Focus is calling for additional services from the South Coast, including an increase in the frequency of services calling at Gatwick.

"Additional services will mean that there will be better connections from the airport to the coast, which will benefit workers as well as air travellers.

There will also be improved connections to destinations in south London and beyond.

"Ultimately, we would like to see greater investment in improved infrastructure and rolling stock to achieve the best possible services for the wide range of passengers and stations on the route."

Sir Richard Branson said on Wednesday: "The Gatwick Express needs to remain as a dedicated, non-stop and frequent service at the heart of a fresh, new gateway for an expanding airport."

The Argus reported in October that double-decker trains could be introduced on the Brighton to London Bridge service.