Great British Railways Transition Team’s (GBRTT) Train Travel Snapshot continues to track the sustained recovery of railway revenue post-pandemic, revealing a 10 percent uplift to £2.6 billion in the three months to September, compared to the same quarter last year.
It comes as new figures from the Office for Rail and Road show total of 397 million journeys were made by rail passengers in the Britain in the latest quarter (1 July to 30 September 2023). This number is a 14 percent increase on the same period in 2022. The analysis also shows a 21 percent increase in the number of journeys made in comparison to the previous 12 months.
The ORR also found that total passenger revenue was £2.6 billion in the latest quarter, a 10 percent increase on the same period last year (when adjusted for inflation).
Responding to increased demand, some train companies have proactively added more trains to their schedules when the timetables changed this December.
The quarter followed typical trends for rail travel over the summer months. Despite a very modest 1% uplift in revenue compared to the previous quarter (April to June), there was an increase in revenue from leisure travel (4 percent).
Reflective of people going on holidays, revenue from commuting (-5 percent) was down slightly and while revenue from business travel (2 percent) was up slightly, there were fewer journeys made.
The rail sector is still grappling with a significant financial gap, and GBRTT is working with the industry to collaboratively address challenges to pursue sustained growth. The appeal is for stakeholders to work together, leveraging the current positive trajectory, and collectively addressing challenges to ensure the long-term success and viability of Britain’s railways.
Suzanne Donnelly, Director of Passenger Revenue at the Great British Railways Transition Team, said: “It is hugely positive to see growth on the railways continue – not only is traveling by train more environmentally friendly but it is also better for the economy. However, we must not become complacent. There are still lots of people that we need to encourage to choose rail when they’re weighing up their travel options.
“Improving passengers’ experience will help and putting on more services is one way to do this. But we will only drive more growth by working together as an industry which is why GBRTT is supporting joined-up decision making across the whole network. We are making ticketing simpler and better value for money, and improving communications and information to customers, which is what we know passengers want.”
Responding to the Office of Rail and Road passenger figures, Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “The latest data from the ORR shows further strong passenger and revenue growth, as more and more journeys are being made by rail with each passing month.
“The ongoing return of passengers to the railway highlights the need to focus on building tomorrow’s rail capacity by making investment decisions today. Many in the railway industry supply chain want to now see a long-term plan for rail alongside a clear pipeline of work. Transport Secretary Mark Harper MP promised a Future Procurement document before Christmas – we await the delivery of this seasonal promise.”
Photo credit: GBRTT
