As rail passengers get ready for the following sequence of nationwide rail moves, starting on Saturday, figures from the Place of business of Rail and Street (ORR) disclose the size of the cave in of educate go back and forth right through the coronavirus pandemic.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, the United Kingdom’s busiest station, London Waterloo, noticed passenger numbers greater than halve when compared with two years previous – down from 87 million to 41 million.
The file says 4 railway stations within the Midlands and North of England noticed fewer than 50 passengers – underneath one per week.
The least-used was once Elton & Orston in Nottinghamshire, with simply 40 entries and exits. It’s at the Nottingham to Skegness line and is served via one day-to-day educate every means.
Teesside Airport, at the Tees Valley line east of Darlington, noticed 42 passengers – up from simply two the former yr. However the station has been closed since Might 2022 because of protection considerations.
Even if it’s opened, passengers are warned: “Despite the fact that this station is with regards to Durham Tees Valley Airport it’s served via just one educate per week in a single path handiest.
“Consumers travelling to/from the airport are instructed to take the bus to/from Darlington or Middlesbrough stations.”
The third-placed station, Stanlow & Thornton in Cheshire, welcomed 44 passengers – a median of 1 per week till it, too, closed in February. Potential customers are instructed: “Stanlow & Thornton station is closed till additional realize because of pressing upkeep to a bridge.”
The station, 5 miles north of Chester, is positioned throughout the Shell Oil Refinery. Within the earlier twelve months, no passengers used it in any respect.
The overall station that failed to achieve even one traveller per week was once Denton in Better Manchester.
Given the caution to potential passengers – “This station has an especially sparse educate provider of just one educate per week (on Fridays) and this handiest runs within the northbound path” – an annual ranking of fifty is most likely spectacular.
Extra passengers used London Waterloo in two mins than visited the ones 4 stations mixed at some stage in a yr.
London Victoria retained its place as the second one most-used station with 36.8 million entries and exits, whilst London Bridge stayed 0.33 with 33.3 million.
The one two stations within the most sensible 10 which are outdoor the capital are Birmingham New Boulevard (8th) and Manchester Piccadilly (tenth).
In Scotland, Glasgow Central remained probably the most used station, with 15.3 million entries and exits, simply forward of Edinburgh Waverley (13.6 million).
In Wales, Cardiff Central remained the busiest station with 7.5 million – 4 instances greater than the second one best possible, Newport.
The least-used Welsh station was once Sugar Loaf, at the Center of Wales line in Powys, which welcomed handiest 76 passengers – slightly one each 5 days.
Educate drivers operating for 11 educate operators will strike on Saturday 26 Novemberwith 8 days of nationwide moves deliberate for December and January via the RMT union.
Most sensible 10 UK railway stations
Passenger entries and exits between April 2021 and March 2022:
- London Waterloo: 41,426,042
- London Victoria: 36,776,338
- London Bridge: 33,309,348
- London Liverpool Boulevard: 32,165,310
- Stratford (London): 28,182,238
- London Paddington: 23,870,510
- London Euston: 23,097,606
- Birmingham New Boulevard: 22,682,526
- London Kings Move: 20,476,492
- Manchester Piccadilly: 19,581,442
Supply: Place of business of Rail and Street