Sydney's train commuters can tell many tales of testing journeys, but a Fairfax Media analysis has revealed the hardiest passengers of all.

The analysis of new transport statistics provides deep insight into rising overcrowding on the city's ageing rail network, which has led passenger numbers on some lines to increase by more than 10 percentage points.

The analysis identifies the stations and commuters bearing the brunt of Sydney's 10,000 new peak-hour passengers a year.

Commuters getting on a 3.25pm service from Redfern to Helensburgh, a suburb on the city's southern outskirts, halfway to Wollongong, endure carriages with more passengers than seats for the longest period of all: 50 minutes.