April to June 2023 Passenger numbers released

[Diedinium]

ORR data portal has been (finally) updated with the April to June 2023 figures:

Passenger rail usage | ORR Data Portal

(Download)

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/ip3ayian/passenger-rail-usage-apr-jun-2023.pdf

Summary:

• 390 million rail passenger journeys were recorded in Great Britain (GB) in the latest quarter (1 April to 30 June 2023). This is a 19% increase on the 328 million journeys in the same quarter in the previous year. There were 1,447 million journeys in the year to 30 June 2023. This is a 5% increase on the 1,385 million journeys made in the previous 12 months (April 2022 to March 2023).
• A total of 14.9 billion passenger kilometres were recorded in GB in the latest quarter. This equates to a 10% increase on the 13.5 billion kilometres in the previous year.
• Total passenger revenue in GB in the latest quarter was £2.6 billion. This is 10% more than the £2.3 billion in the previous year (adjusted for inflation).
• 89% of pre-covid usage with Elizabeth line, 80% without.

 

[Farigiraf]

Any idea when we are going to get 2022-23 station usage statistics?

 

[Snow1964]

Any idea when we are going to get 2022-23 station usage statistics?

It was showing as November with date TBC last week,
Now been changed to December TBC

Publication dates for statistics | ORR Data Portal

Our publication timetable provides details when we will publish official statistics, the statistical releases and other statistics that we publish.

dataportal.orr.gov.uk

 

[YorkRailFan]

"But no one uses trains" - The Tories

Not surprised that HX is down from 2022 with the EL coming online offering direct connections for central and southeast London but LD being down (even though it is 1%) is surprising as they are new and offer a competitive service to LNER.

 

[norbitonflyer]

"But no one uses trains" - The Tories

Not surprised that HX is down from 2022 with the EL coming online offering direct connections for central and southeast London but LD being down (even though it is 1%) is surprising as they are new and offer a competitive service to LNER.

A 1% drop could easily be explained - with any new service there will be a initial surge in numbers as the curious (people like us!) try it out for the novelty.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

So journeys are still 11% down on the same period in 2019 (pre-Covid), and revenue is 22% down.

 

[YorkRailFan]

A 1% drop could easily be explained - with any new service there will be a initial surge in numbers as the curious (people like us!) try it out for the novelty.

True, hopefully in 2024, some growth will be seen for LD.

 

[PGAT]

It was showing as November with date TBC last week,
Now been changed to December TBC

Publication dates for statistics | ORR Data Portal

Our publication timetable provides details when we will publish official statistics, the statistical releases and other statistics that we publish.

dataportal.orr.gov.uk

For some reason it still says November 2023 here

Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal

 

[3RDGEN]

So journeys are still 11% down on the same period in 2019 (pre-Covid), and revenue is 22% down.

With Elizabeth Line in the figures yes but if that's corrected then journeys are approx 20% down, it makes the figures awkward as GWR are still well down but they will have lost passengers to EL. Looking at the individual operators figures EMR & LNER are above pre covid but the London commuter operators are down around the 25% although showing ongoing slight increases despite the industrial action in the period.

Big issue is the 22% drop in revenue, CPI adjusted, as that's what pays the bills.

 

[Revilo]

"But no one uses trains" - The Tories

Not surprised that HX is down from 2022 with the EL coming online offering direct connections for central and southeast London but LD being down (even though it is 1%) is surprising as they are new and offer a competitive service to LNER.

The Tories have spend a lot of money on the railways even though the vast majority of journeys are still by car.

 

[dk1]

So journeys are still 11% down on the same period in 2019 (pre-Covid), and revenue is 22% down.

It’s getting there however and only back at what it was a few years previous as had been the growth in rail travel in that decade.

 

[YorkRailFan]

The Tories have spend a lot of money on the railways even though the vast majority of journeys are still by car.

They haven't spent nearly enough.

 

[dk1]

Any idea when we are going to get 2022-23 station usage statistics?

I always thought it was around January.

 

[Snow1964]

You can also play with data

eg my local operator GWR had 4% reduction in trains (table 4.1)
but bigger reduction (5%) in vehicle km (table 5.1)
so on average trains had fewer carriages

Dividing 65.7m (table 5.1) by 10.9m (table 4.1) shows average of 6.0 carriages per train

Applying the 8% growth in passengers on GWR (table 1.1) with the table 5.1 -5% vehicle km suggests each train is 14% busier.

https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/ip3ayian/passenger-rail-usage-apr-jun-2023.pdf

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I always thought it was around January.

Last year they were released in the last week of November.

 

[dk1]

Last year they were released in the last week of November.

My bad then. Something that always watch with interest too. Thanks.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Wonder which station will win the dubious award of having the lowest useage (least entrances or exits) over the 12 month period? Think it was 'Elton and Orston' in Nottinghamshire last time out. Be right in saying it still has one train to Nottingham and one train to Skegness every day (other than Sundays)?

 

[YorkRailFan]

Wonder which station will win the dubious award of having the lowest useage (least entrances or exits) over the 12 month period? Think it was 'Elton and Orston' in Nottinghamshire last time out. Be right in saying it still has one train to Nottingham and one train to Skegness every day (other than Sundays)?

Correct, see here: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...3-11-09/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=call&order=wtt

Sadly for Elton & Orston, the Nottingham service has been cancelled today.

 

[Farigiraf]

Wonder which station will win the dubious award of having the lowest useage (least entrances or exits) over the 12 month period? Think it was 'Elton and Orston' in Nottinghamshire last time out. Be right in saying it still has one train to Nottingham and one train to Skegness every day (other than Sundays)?

Stanlow & Thornton - Service totally suspended recently but it got a few calls at the start of the period IIRC

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Sadly for Elton & Orston, the Nottingham service has been cancelled today.

Presume when that happens, the next service train doesn't ever make a special call at the station to uplift the hordes of stranded passengers?

 

[YorkRailFan]

Presume when that happens, the next service train doesn't ever make a special call at the station to uplift the hordes of stranded passengers?

Didn't show up on the RTT link I replied to you with.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

How much of the decrease in travel per 2019 is down to a worsened economic environment rather than COVID? Mondays and Fridays definitely seem to be getting busier for commuting in London

 

[Kite159]

"But no one uses trains" - The Tories

Not surprised that HX is down from 2022 with the EL coming online offering direct connections for central and southeast London but LD being down (even though it is 1%) is surprising as they are new and offer a competitive service to LNER.

Probably a mix of passengers who tried out Lumo when it was a new operator and got turned off due to the lack of luggage racks/luggage restrictions/overcrowding/mostly airline layout and those where Lumo isn't as cheap as it once was.

Wonder which station will win the dubious award of having the lowest useage (least entrances or exits) over the 12 month period? Think it was 'Elton and Orston' in Nottinghamshire last time out. Be right in saying it still has one train to Nottingham and one train to Skegness every day (other than Sundays)?

Generally when a station gets 'crowded' the least used some see a small usage jump the following year either by media types visiting and buying a ticket or those who like visiting the least used stations. My 5p is on Ince & Elton assuming Stanlow & Thornton doesn't get excluded due to no service.

 

[westcoaster]

Wonder which station will win the dubious award of having the lowest useage (least entrances or exits) over the 12 month period? Think it was 'Elton and Orston' in Nottinghamshire last time out. Be right in saying it still has one train to Nottingham and one train to Skegness every day (other than Sundays)?

Guess one of the Marston Vale stations with 0 passengers boarding a train.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

This measures tickets sold not journeys made which are higher i would suggest given the almost complete absence of any on train revenue protection on many routes.

 

[LowLevel]

This measures tickets sold not journeys made which are higher i would suggest given the almost complete absence of any on train revenue protection on many routes.

Huge numbers of split tickets now to balance that.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Probably a mix of passengers who tried out Lumo when it was a new operator and got turned off due to the lack of luggage racks/luggage restrictions/overcrowding/mostly airline layout and those where Lumo isn't as cheap as it once was.

As well as frequency, LNER services are far more frequent than Lumo's.

 

[devon_belle]

How are strike days accounted for in these statistics? Especially when comparing to pre-pandemic levels. I haven't had a chance to look into it myself.

 

[Krokodil]

Huge numbers of split tickets now to balance that.

Notice how Llanfairfechan saw a significant jump in footfall last year. I can guarantee that most of those extra passengers never set foot on the platform.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Nov 2023 ==

So journeys are still 11% down on the same period in 2019 (pre-Covid), and revenue is 22% down.

Imagine how much better the revenue would be if passengers weren't eligible for so many delay repay claims due to the inability of certain operators to run a service. Likewise if trains weren't running so wedged that guards couldn't get through to sell and scan tickets - if there's no scan and both stations are unbarriered the passenger could illicitly claim a refund, fraudulently pretending never to have travelled.

Fraud teams at the TOCs as well as third party retailers are beginning to notice these patterns and we're seeing threads in the prosecutions section from people with suspicious amounts of refunds on their account whom TOCs/retailers are making enquiries of.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Guess one of the Marston Vale stations with 0 passengers boarding a train.

RRBs are in operation so I very much doubt any will be 0. Even Kempston Hardwick, once the low-use poster boy, now has some new housing relatively nearby.