Station usage 2012/13

[GatwickDepress]

I‘m a but dissappointed that Doleham‘s metioric rise up the charts hasn‘t continued

Let's all pool our money together and buy a hell of annual seasons.

Confuse those statisticians to no end.

 

[CNash]

Like a checksum, if people were arriving at a station but never leaving it something strange must be going on in your figures somewhere.

Once again, I bet I'm missing something crucial to the data here, but you're not going to find that equal amounts of people enter and exit from a given station. Some people make one-way journeys, or break their journey somewhere and never use the remainder... etc.

Yes, season ticket usage is one of the easiest things to calculate as you know where they start and where they end their journey, you only have to estimate how often each year they use the ticket.

What I meant was, people who routinely travel on season tickets between stations that they don't start or end their journey at, like myself. My ticket is from Slade Green but I've never been there in my life; I start from Welling instead, buying a Slade Green ticket only for the extra validity. So I don't see how this data can accurately account for my journeys.

 

[yorksrob]

Let's all pool our money together and buy a hell of annual seasons.

Confuse those statisticians to no end.

I see a day return from Three Oaks is only £2.70. Might have to treat myself

 

[anme]

Once again, I bet I'm missing something crucial to the data here, but you're not going to find that equal amounts of people enter and exit from a given station. Some people make one-way journeys, or break their journey somewhere and never use the remainder... etc.

I'm curious about why the start and end figures appear to be identical for all stations (that I checked). That seems very odd. I have made single journeys myself in 2012/13, and I doubt that every single one of those was balanced by exactly one person travelling in the opposite direction. Is there something in the methodology to explain it?

What I meant was, people who routinely travel on season tickets between stations that they don't start or end their journey at, like myself. My ticket is from Slade Green but I've never been there in my life; I start from Welling instead, buying a Slade Green ticket only for the extra validity. So I don't see how this data can accurately account for my journeys.

As far as I know, for point to point tickets the figures just take into account start and end stations for the tickets. The assumption that all journeys follow this pattern is of course not correct in every case, but it probably is in most. On average, the numbers are unlikely to be affected by more than a small percentage, although there may be stations where the effect is larger.

These numbers are not, and cannot realistically be 100% accurate - that would require someone counting every single journey made on the system. There are well known stations for which the figures are wrong by orders of magnitude. But they should be a good estimate in most of cases.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I see a day return from Three Oaks is only £2.70. Might have to treat myself

Weather's picking up, time to purchase a weekly season Ore - Doleham for some regular rambles home methinks.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

A few years ago, the 'entries' and 'exits' figures did differ, and thus were believable. The change to identical figures was never explained in the methodology document. Leads me to disbelieve the integrity of the data.

 

[greatkingrat]

Actually this is mentioned in the methodology

The method for estimating passenger journeys from ticket sales has changed.
This is a result of using the MOIRA2 Demand Matrix as a starting point. The
MOIRA2 Demand Matrix does not disaggregate single journeys, and so when
estimating passenger journeys all ticket sales have been split equally into the
two directions of travel. This will only have an impact on the ODM if there is
more travel on single tickets away from a station compared to travel to the
station, which is not likely to be material. Therefore in the Station Usage file,
entries are the same as exits.

 

[leytongabriel]

Demand is still suppressed on the ELL north of Whitechapel due to Shoreditch being in zone 1. So we have an orbital service with a central London price tag. Duuuh. Of course poor siting and signage doesn't help much either.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Actually this is mentioned in the methodology

I stand corrected.

But there must be one way flows which are significant? If nothing else as an indicator of fare evasion / avoidance / under recording of actual usage?

Aaargh, the formatted stripe effect of the excel sheet has sent me epileptic!
To remove:

Select the whole worksheet then;

Format
Conditional Formatting
Delete
Tick both 1 and 2
OK

Please 'retweet' this post back to me in 12 months as a reminder!

 

[swt_passenger]

Demand is still suppressed on the ELL north of Whitechapel due to Shoreditch being in zone 1.

Presumably you have some real evidence for that, or is it just your opinion?

 

[Matt Taylor]

Other large movers:

Bedhampton 171,554 249,212 -21% (unknown, possibly related to Havant station)

Note that Bedhampton recorded a 154% increase between 2010 & 2012 so the usage has now normalised back to previous levels.

 

[northwichcat]

While I'm pleased to see my local station (Knutsford) has had 12.5% growth in 12 months I'm surprised it's continuing to grow at such a high rate considering the population and service level has remained constant.

 

[transmanche]

Demand is still suppressed on the ELL north of Whitechapel due to Shoreditch being in zone 1.

(Unfortunately) Shoreditch High Street is quite properly in the correct zone for its location.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

While I'm pleased to see my local station (Knutsford) has had 12.5% growth in 12 months I'm surprised it's continuing to grow at such a high rate considering the population and service level has remained constant.

More people actually buying tickets now? (If it was an area prone to fare evasion.)

 

[northwichcat]

More people actually buying tickets now? (If it was an area prone to fare evasion.)

We're talking about an increase of around 90% in passenger numbers since 2004. There's a few good reasons for a large increase since 2004:
1. Under First North Western late running and industrial action was more common.
2. The Sunday service improved in 2008.
3. There has been a nationwide trend of more people using the train.
4. Some bus services have been cut e.g. there's no longer a bus to Warrington so the most sensible way of getting there by public transport is to take the train to Altrincham then the bus to Warrington.
5. A number of subsided school buses have been replaced by commercial operations while Northern have introduced a 'scholars season ticket' which quite often undercuts the bus fare.
6. Barclays have increased the size of their operation at Radbrooke Hall despite banks generally cutting staff.

However, the size of the increase (since 2004) is still surprising and with one exception there's been a significant increase every year.

There are RPIs at the station more often now but then on Saturdays it isn't uncommon for there not to be any and to have a 4 car train (2 x 2 car 142/150s) with one conductor remaining in the rear portion of the train so no ticket inspection for a number of passengers. I would have thought Saturday would have more ticket-less travel with there being a lot of teenagers who want to 'buy on board' when they're asked for a ticket and probably a lot less season ticket holders travelling.

 

[Chrisgr31]

The figures for Uckfield remain high, partly caused by commuters like me buying our tickets from there despite the fact we rarely travel there, purely on the grounds the season ticket price is the same from all stations between Edenbride and Uckfeild so if one ever decides to go south one might as well have he ticket to do so.

 

[Quakers Yard]

Merthyr Tydfil is showing a healthy increase from 45k to 481k. Would be far better when electrified I reckon.

I will be interested how Fishguard and Goodwicke does next year. Pyle is on 104k too, and deserves a greater service!

The guards often issue a ticket from Merthyr if you are going past Abercynon as the fare is the same from Penterbach, Troedyrhiw or Merthyr Vale as its in the same fare zone.

 

[Greenback]

I remain of the view that the station usage figures are of only passing interest and should not be relied on for service planning due to the discrepancies (and others) noted above.

 

[Markdvdman]

The guards often issue a ticket from Merthyr if you are going past Abercynon as the fare is the same from Penterbach, Troedyrhiw or Merthyr Vale as its in the same fare zone.

Very true. It is annoying as if I ask for a return to Cadoxton, they often put Barry or Barry Island. Zones or no zones, it distorts figures, and as Greenback says, should be taken with a pinch of salt!

Merthyr is a busy station though - I have witnessed it different times of the day - but would be more so if it did not have such a regular bus service to Cardiff, and very good road links.

 

[Greenback]

Yes, indeed, whenever I've been to Merthyr there have been quite a few passengers both alighting and boarding at the terminus. As with other Valley lines, though, there ar emore local passengers than might be expected, about Cardiff - which is a very good thing, of course!

I also think that Pyle deserves a better service, but it seems, slowly, to be getting it.

 

[frodshamfella]

My nearest local station is Acton Bridge, seems a drop in passengers which surprised me as I felt from using the facility more folk were making use of the station. However one issue locally is the car parking at the station was reduced in recent years, campaigns by parish councils etc seems to come to nothing, I even had a go myself (there is land available), but once you actually get someone who will talk to you, and the tennis match from London Midland to NR ends, you get a stock reply.

As I said the facility is small, and I have struggled on week days finding a space, particularly arriving after morning peak, when spaces have gone. There is no where else convenient to leave your car in facinity.

In addition there is no where on the station to buy a ticket, just a permit to travel machine ( ticket office long gone). So you buy from the guard, and as what happened on Saturday on the 12.16 from Acton Bridge to Lime Street, approx 10 boarded, and guard did not collect any fares at any point towards Liverpool. So that wouldnt help.

 

[transmanche]

In addition there is no where on the station to buy a ticket, just a permit to travel machine ( ticket office long gone). So you buy from the guard, and as what happened on Saturday on the 12.16 from Acton Bridge to Lime Street, approx 10 boarded, and guard did not collect any fares at any point towards Liverpool. So that wouldnt help.

Out of interest, did anyone purchase a PTT from the machine before boarding?

 

[infobleep]

Interestingly how Ryde Esplanade has 44,191 'season entries'. I'd guess that it's calculated at 5 entries a week over 48 weeks so 184 season tickets in total

I had a Ryde Esplanade season ticket covering part of that year but I never once went there to use it....

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[frodshamfella]

Out of interest, did anyone purchase a PTT from the machine before boarding?

Actually I never have, always bought from guard, you need a pound to buy the PTT ticket, and I don't always have a coin handy....to be honest the machine looks as if you'd put your pound in and get nothing back !!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Out of interest, did anyone purchase a PTT from the machine before boarding?

Out of interest I may give the machine a go and see what happens !

Carl

 

[paul1609]

I‘m a but disappointed that Doleham‘s metioric rise up the charts hasn‘t continued

Even so the passenger stats for this station are way over the top. I still haven't seen anybody get on or off there since the Thumper days and I'm regularly on one of the 3 trains a day that stops there!

 

[Shempz]

The figures for Uckfield remain high, partly caused by commuters like me buying our tickets from there despite the fact we rarely travel there, purely on the grounds the season ticket price is the same from all stations between Edenbride and Uckfeild so if one ever decides to go south one might as well have he ticket to do so.

That's correct. I get on at Ashurst, but get my season ticket from Uckfield for that exact reason.

 

[yorksrob]

Even so the passenger stats for this station are way over the top. I still haven't seen anybody get on or off there since the Thumper days and I'm regularly on one of the 3 trains a day that stops there!

I have to say, neither have I. But then again, I think I've only been on about two, or maybe three trains that have actually stopped there since the good old days of the thumpers.

 

[frodshamfella]

Travelled yesterday afternoon Acton Bridge - Liverpool South Parkway - Southport, again no guard to buy a ticket from on London Midland. So will not reflect passenger figures at station correctly.