Melbourne's trains are less overcrowded, but it comes at a cost: your seat.

Metro's move to rip out seats from train carriages to accommodate exploding patronage numbers has eased overcrowding on peak services across the network, PTV data reveals.

The increase in passengers raises the likelihood of overcrowding during peak hours. Credit:Nick Moir

The seating reconfiguration has increased passenger capacity from 798 to 900, resulting in a dramatic drop in passenger load breaches on the Frankston, Upfield, Sandringham, Werribee and Craigieburn lines.

Nearly 7 per cent of passengers were squashed in overcrowded trains on the Sunbury Line this year in the morning peak, down from nearly 47 per cent last year.