A total of 390 million journeys were made by rail passengers in Great Britain in the last quarter (April 1 to June 30 2023), a 19 per cent increase on the number of journeys made in the same quarter the previous year.
Statistics released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) have revealed there were 1,447 million journeys in the year to June 30 2023, which is a five per cent increase on the previous 12 months.
A total of 14.9 billion passenger kilometres were travelling in Great Britain in the latest quarter, an increase of 10 per cent on the same period last year, and total passenger revenue was £2.6 billion, which again was a 10 per cent increase on the same period last year when adjusted for inflation.
A Rail Partners’ spokesperson said: “The increase in passenger numbers is positive and the memorandum of understanding issued this week will provide some respite from the industrial action which has impacted the period covered by these figures.
“While passenger numbers remain supressed, there remain significant financial challenges on the railway and government must urgently push ahead with contractual reform to enable operators to attract more customers to rail and respond to their needs. In turn helping to restore passenger numbers and support Britain’s green growth.”
More people are now travelling with Hull Trains than they did before the pandemic with the operator reporting the strongest recovery in UK journey levels.
Not only has the operator recovered its passenger numbers to pre-pandemic levels, but it has surpassed them far faster than anyone else, and the latest Passenger rail usage report by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) shows that, compared to the report for the same quarter in 2019, journey levels on Hull Trains services are 28% higher.
Compared to this time last year alone, Hull Trains has increased its number of journeys by 31% having delivered 358,000 journeys in the last quarter compared to 270,000 on the same quarter in 2022.
Managing Director, Martijn Gilbert said: “This remarkable achievement is testament to the great service provided by our team at Hull Trains. Since our investment in a brand-new fleet of trains in 2019, we have continued to focus on delivering a great value, low carbon, dependable and friendly way of travelling on our route.”
Commenting on the figures Justin Moss, RIA North Chair said: “These impressive numbers exceeding pre-pandemic rail usage on the service show very strong passenger demand. That’s why the Government and stakeholders across the north need to be supporting the rail industry now to ensure capacity to meet future demand. Growth in the decades ahead can only be achieved with a long-term plan for rail with a clear and visible pipeline of investment for suppliers.”
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