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!