The average UK commuter spends nearly an hour a day travelling – and 3.7 million are en route for more than two hours , with the longest journey times spent on trains .
Strikes and other delays aside – it is a long time to spend scrolling through social media or staring silently ahead. Some people are occupying their many captive hours with a creative pastime.
Here are some of England’s most productive passengers.
Amy Dicketts travels for 90 minutes a day on the Tube. She photographs fellow passengers for her project Commute Blog.
« I thought there must be something better I could be doing than staring into space or looking at my phone, » said the 24-year-old who works in marketing.
« So I began to ask to take people’s photographs and ask them to tell me something surprising about themselves.
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« Usually they are surprised but glad to have some entertainment on an otherwise boring journey. Often the people around us join in and will ask their own questions.
« I’ve heard stories from all sorts of people, including tips on how to have a happy marriage from people celebrating their wedding anniversary, to young boys trying to challenge the stereotypes people have of them.
« I realised I didn’t have many stories from older people as they don’t tend to travel by Tube.
« I spent a day with North London Cares and South London Cares , two charities which bring together older Londoners and their younger neighbours.
« We went on the Tube to the London Transport Museum for a day out. It really opened my eyes to how challenging the Tube is for people who aren’t as mobile. »
« I noticed a few people at the end of the train having a glass of wine and one of the guys beckoned me over and asked if I wanted to join them, » said Mr Surtherland-Rowe who works in IT for a bank.
« The club has been going for about eight years and the people who started it aren’t travelling any more.
« Every Thursday we bring alcohol and nibbles and just catch up on the week.
« We celebrate birthdays with posters and decorations and we had a Christmas party.
« In the summer we have a party in a field with a marquee and a barbecue and we bring our partners and children.
« We have a Facebook group where we keep in touch and let one another know about train delays.
« It makes commuting much easier because you are sharing the pain.
« We’ve grown from a group of commuters to a group of friends. »
« I started crocheting two years ago as I wanted to try something creative, » said the 38-year-old who works as an administrator at a charity.
« For practical reasons I tend to make smaller items on the train such as baby bootees, adult beanie hats and scarves.
« I’ve also made a few blankets by making the granny squares to and from work and crocheting them together into a blanket when I get home.
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« There’s only so much crocheted stuff you can give to friends. So I decided to have a stall at my local market before Christmas.
« Using my commute productively has given me a little extra cash, it makes the journey go quicker and actually takes away some of the pain of commuting.
« It has also proven a great way to strike up a conversation with fellow commuters. »
« Initially to make the commute more bearable I downloaded Candy Crush, » said the 37-year-old who manages international judicial relations at the Royal Courts of Justice.
« I was completely addicted and realised I was wasting valuable time.
« So, I started jotting down ideas for a series of novels. I’ve done almost all my research, plotting and writing on the train.
« I’ve self-published my two novels The Circle Line and The Blood Line through Amazon.
« Some of the books are set within the London Underground.
« It does feel good to be doing something which feels worthwhile, » said the married father of three.
« I really enjoy my commute as a rare slice of time for myself between work and family life. »
It takes Lindsey Farquhar three hours a day to travel to and from Liverpool. She paints, crochets and makes jewellery which she posts on her Crafty Commuter Facebook page.
« The Crafty Commuter started in November 2014 when I missed the early train to work so had time to wait for the next one, » said the 42-year-old who works for a housing association.
« So I bought a crochet magazine with free wool and crochet hooks at the station just on a whim.
« My job is office based and can be quite pressured so I had previously worked myself into quite a state checking emails before I even got there.
« But once I started my Crafty Commute, I arrived at work much more relaxed and feeling like I’d accomplished something creative already before I even got into work. I loved it.
« I crochet bobble hats and boot toppers in the winter and I make wire-wrapped jewellery when it gets warmer. Wire is my summer version of wool, you see.
« Then I started drawing and painting. I put together a little travel kit that I could take on the train.
« Very soon, my friends at work were asking about my crafting and family and friends were chatting about it on Facebook.
« The train guards started talking to me about my projects too. They stopped to talk about their families and friends.
« Thank goodness they always remind me when it’s time to get off! »
« I began sketching last year as I felt the need to unleash my creative side, » said the 49-year-old who works in social media for a recruitment consultant.
« Sketching means I can relax and not worry about the day ahead until I sit at my desk, then it helps me unwind when I’m on my way home.
« I keep a pocket sketchbook, pen and pencil in my commuting rucksack.
