Guidance

Light rail and tram quality report

Updated 5 September 2023

Applies to England

About the light rail and tram statistics

The Light Rail and Tram annual statistical release is compiled from responses to the Light Rail and Tram Survey, which collects information on light rail and tram system use, infrastructure and revenue. A copy of the survey form is available.

Quality of the light rail and tram data

The Light Rail and Tram statistical release is produced to high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics and was confirmed as National Statistics in February 2013. This report outlines some of the quality aspects of the data.

Coverage

The survey covers urban systems which are primarily surface running. Questionnaires are sent to the following systems:

• Docklands Light Railway
• London Trams (formerly London Tramlink/Croydon Tramlink)
• Nottingham Express Transit
• West Midlands Metro
• Sheffield Supertram
• Tyne and Wear Metro
• Manchester Metrolink
• Blackpool Tramway
• Edinburgh Trams
• Glasgow Subway (formerly Glasgow Underground)
• London Underground

These systems are those which sit outside of the UK National Rail network but carry a large number of passengers on a daily basis in an urban setting. However, this should not be considered an exhaustive list of the light rail systems currently operating in the UK. There are many other such systems, including funiculars, airport transit systems, heritage, and tourist railways, which are not covered by these statistics.

Location of each light rail and tram system in England

Map 1: location of each light rail and tram system in England

Map 1 above shows the location of the eight light rail and tram systems in England. An accessible version is provided in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Location of each light rail and tram system in England

System	Region
Tyne and Wear Metro	North East
Blackpool Tramway	North West
Sheffield Supertram	Yorkshire and the Humber
Manchester Metrolink	North West
Nottingham Express Transit	East Midlands
West Midlands Metro	West Midlands
Docklands Light Railway	Greater London
London Trams	Greater London

Strengths of the data

Long-term and continuous: The survey first ran in its current format in 2010 and has been running on an annual basis since, although some data are available back to the 1980s. The data captured has remained largely unchanged, meaning that long-term trends can be monitored.

Response rates: In 2023, returns were received from all of the systems, a response rate of 100%. The response rate has consistently been 100%, and the cooperation of the respondents for each of the systems is greatly appreciated.

Limitations

Comparability: As the figures are provided by different operators, there are some differences in the methods used to count journeys or to estimate passenger or vehicle kilometres, which may affect comparisons between different systems. However, we have attempted to ensure comparability as far as possible.

Journeys not passengers: The survey captures the number of passenger boardings, or journeys. This is not the same as the number of passengers as one passenger may make multiple journeys.

Journey details: While the survey captures the number of passenger boardings, it does not capture detailed information about the journeys, such as the origin and destination, or purpose of the journey. Some of this information can be obtained via analysis of the National Travel Survey (NTS). See the latest statistical release for more information.

Passenger details: The survey does not capture any details of the people using the system, such as their demographics, journey satisfaction, or the reasons behind their travel mode choice. Some of this information can be obtained from the NTS.

Data quality

Data collection is done via an Excel spreadsheet.

Many quality control measures are in place to ensure the integrity of the data. Validation checks are used to ensure that any large year-on-year changes are investigated. These validation checks are largely carried out using R. Explanations are then sought from the respondents where differences are large or unexpected. This means that figures for each system should be broadly comparable over time.

The principles of “RAP” (reproducible analytical pipelines) are used to produce the publication tables and charts. For more details on how the principles of RAP are being applied in the Department for Transport (DfT), see the Analysis Function RAP Strategy 2023 Implementation Plan.

Other dimensions of quality

Response rates: In 2023 the response rate was 100%, consistent with previous years.

Timeliness: The survey reference period is the year ending March 2023, and the statistical release was published in September 2023.

Accuracy: Much of the data captured will be available from the individual systems’ management information systems. Although the response rate of 100% means that there are no sampling or coverage errors, there remains the possibility that the data captured is incorrect. It’s possible that the form may not be clear to all respondents, the respondents may make an error when completing the form, or there may be errors in the underlying data. While our quality assurance procedures attempt to minimise these errors, they do not remove the risk of them entirely. Information not available through management information systems, such as average journey length, will require the respondent to make assumptions. This is also a potential source of error.

Other data sources

Within the statistical release, other data sources have been used in addition to the light rail and tram survey to provide a more complete picture of the sector.

• Transport for London (TfL): publish Docklands Light Railway and London Underground performance data.

• Office of Road and Rail (ORR): The ORR publish information on passenger injuries on trams, metros and other non-Network Rail networks in Great Britain. ORR statistics are National Statistics.

• Office for National Statistics (ONS): publish population statistics which are used to calculate journeys per head.

• HM Treasury: produce GDP deflators which are used to adjust revenue figures to show them in real terms, that is adjusting for inflation.

Users and uses of these statistics

These statistics are collected to provide information on light rail and tram systems within England to monitor trends in passenger journeys, service provision and revenue. They help to provide a comprehensive picture of public transport use in Great Britain. Within DfT, they are used as background information in the development of light rail and tram policy, for ministerial briefing and to answer public enquiries. Outside DfT, known users include researchers, academics and Parliamentary groups. These groups appear to primarily use the statistics as context for reports related to light rail.

Terminology

Types of system

“Light Rail” systems include: Docklands Light Railway, London Trams, Nottingham Express Transit, West Midlands Metro, Sheffield Supertram, Tyne and Wear Metro and Manchester Metrolink.

“Tram” systems include: Blackpool Tramway and Edinburgh Trams.

“Underground” systems include London Underground and Glasgow Subway.

Other terminology

Concessionary journey: Concessionary journeys are those carried out by holders of a concessionary travel pass. These are issued by local authorities for use on buses as part of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme. Local authorities outside of London can offer free travel on light rail systems as a discretionary extra to this scheme. In London, this is a statutory requirement.

Journey stage: Every trip can consist of one or more stages. A new stage is defined when there is a change in the mode of transport.

Journey length: Passenger kilometres divided by passenger boardings. This calculation reflects operators’ assumptions about average journey length, based on their own surveys and research.

Journeys per head: Passenger journeys divided by the population in the respective Passenger Transport Executive or higher tier authority, using the Census data or mid-year population estimates produced by the Office of National Statistics.

Average vehicle occupancy: Passenger kilometres divided by vehicle kilometres. The passenger kilometres measure reflects operators’ assumptions about average journey length, based on their own surveys and research.

Data collection

Passenger journeys

Most operators report that their passenger journeys figures are derived from ticket data, either directly from ticket machines (Blackpool, Sheffield, Nottingham and West Midlands Metro) or based on ticket sales (Manchester Metrolink). However, for London Trams passenger numbers are recorded by an on-tram passenger count system using infra-red door sensors, and Docklands Light Railway figures are based on automatic passenger counts at stations. Tyne and Wear Metro figures are based on surveys of 12,000 to 15,000 passengers every four weeks (which the operator reports as providing data accurate to within a margin of error of 1% on an annual basis).

Where figures are derived from ticket sales data, assumptions based on passenger surveys are made to estimate the number of journeys per ticket (for example, for season tickets).

For the systems that report using passenger counts from ticket machines, season ticket and pass holder boardings are captured by the pressing of a button on the machine. Only one operator makes an adjustment for under-recording, with the others reporting that they make no adjustment but estimate that the level of under-recording is small (less than 1%).

On occasion, operators may make adjustments to the methods used to estimate journeys. For example, Manchester reported using a revised methodology for concessionary journeys from 2010 to 2011, based on surveys carried out.

Whilst there are differences in the methods used by operators to compile the estimates of journeys and it is difficult to assess the impact of these precisely, data are validated by comparison to previous years and consequently, we believe that the broad trends shown are sufficiently robust for the uses of these statistics.

Concessionary journeys are those carried out by holders of a concessionary travel pass. These are issued by local authorities for use on buses as part of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS). In London, free travel on light rail systems is a statutory requirement. Local authorities outside of London can offer free travel on light rail systems as a discretionary extra to this scheme and all eight areas with light rail systems currently offer free off-peak travel to older and disabled residences in their local authority area. In order to qualify for a concessionary travel pass, a certain age or disability requirement has to be met as specified by the ENCTS. Some local authorities may also offer concessionary travel for young people.

Passenger kilometres

Passenger kilometres travelled are calculated by multiplying the number of passenger journeys by an average journey length. Average journey lengths are estimated from passenger surveys. Typically, the same figure is used for a number of years, with periodic revisions for example associated with network changes. As a result, whilst the passenger kilometres figures should reflect broad trends sufficiently, year on year changes should be treated with caution.

Vehicle kilometres

Vehicle kilometres operated are derived from scheduled (timetabled) kilometres, deducting any known lost kilometres. Kilometres run on driver training or special excursions are not included. Given the nature of these systems (operating on a fixed route network) we consider these figures to be a reliable indication of levels and trends.

Note, however, that figures for Manchester Metrolink are provided on a different basis to other systems (as described in the footnote to the tables). Comparisons over time and with other systems should therefore be made with caution.

Revenue

Revenue figures are taken from operators’ financial records. Total revenue includes on and off-vehicle fare receipts, concessionary fare reimbursement for both elderly and disabled and (where relevant) youth passengers, and any other payments from local transport authorities. Income from special excursions and other sources (e.g. retail and advertising), as well as Government support through the Light Rail Revenue Restart Grant (LRRRG), is not included in these figures. Income relating to Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) is also not included.

Workforce

Workforce figures are the number of full time equivalent (FTE) people employed by each system, or contractors working on those systems, to carry out a specified role. They include contracted staff wherever possible. These statistics are new in the year ending March 2023 and are therefore designated as experimental. Efforts have been made to ensure comparability between systems, and we will strive to improve comparability further in future years.

Factors affecting figures in recent years

Nationwide factors

Coronavirus (COVID-19) impact

Figures for the financial years ending March 2022 and March 2021 were affected by the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This period was affected by restrictions or capacity limitations to allow for social distancing. Plan B restrictions introduced in response to the Omicron variant in December 2021 did not introduce further capacity restrictions, although the work from home advice issued by the Government did lead to an overall decline in patronage.

Figures for the financial year ending March 2023 release were less affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no restrictions directly affecting passenger numbers during the year, although changes to working patterns as a result of the pandemic are likely to have an ongoing effect on passenger numbers.

System factors

Systems have recovered to some extent since the COVID-19 pandemic, with services returning to closer to pre-pandemic frequencies on most systems. Other factors which may have affected the data are listed in chronological order in Table 2 below.

Symbols used in Table 2

[w] = data not available

Table 2 - Key Events in the Light Rail and Tram Sector (to March 2023)

Year	Month	Info
1980	August	Tyne and Wear Metro opened to the public.
1984	[w]	Contract for construction of Docklands Light Railway was awarded to GEC Mowlem.
1987	August	Docklands Light Railway opened to passenger traffic.
1991	July	Docklands Light Railway extension to Bank underground station opened.
1992	July	Phase 1 of Manchester Metrolink opened in full with services between Bury and Altrincham.
1994	March	Docklands Light Railway extension from Poplar to Beckton opened.
1994	March	First section of Sheffield Supertram opened.
1995	January	Croydon Tramlink was approved by the Secretary of State for Transport. Government was to contribute about half of the £154 million cost.
1995	January	Provisional approval was given by the Secretary of State for Transport for West Midland Metro.
1995	June	A consortium led by FirstBus Transit Developments was shortlisted to tender for the design, construction and operation of the first route of the Leeds Supertram scheme.
1995	August	Altram, a consortium consisting of West Midland Travel, Laing and the Italian company Ansaldo Trasporti, was awarded the contract for the construction and operation for 23 years of Midland Metro Line 1 (Birmingham – Wolverhampton).
1995	August	Sheffield Supertram was fully opened.
1996	November	Tramtrack Croydon, a consortium consisting of London bus operator Centrewest, Bombardier (a European train manufacturer), two UK construction companies and the Royal Bank of Scotland was awarded the contract for the construction and operation for 99 years of the 28km Croydon Tramlink scheme, under the government’s Private Finance Initiative.
1997	December	Stagecoach bought South Yorkshire Supertram Ltd for £1.15 million.
1998	June	The Secretary of State approved construction of an extension to the Docklands Light Railway to London City Airport, estimated to cost £35 million.
1999	May	West Midland Metro opened from Wolverhampton to Birmingham Snow Hill.
1999	November	Docklands Light Railway extension to Lewisham was opened.
1999	December	Phase II of Manchester Metrolink opened in part with services to Salford Quays.
1999	December	Docklands Light Railway extension from Island Gardens to Lewisham opened.
2000	May	Croydon Tramlink, a light rail network in south London, opened.
2000	July	Phase II of Metrolink was extended to Eccles.
2003	July	Mayor of London obtained control of London Underground on 15 July. Transport for London took responsibility for the strategic operations of LU, London’s buses, DLR, Croydon Tramlink, taxis, private hire vehicles and their operators, and also riverbus services.
2004	March	Nottingham Express Transit opened to the public. Operated by Nottingham City Transport, it was integrated with bus routes at points along its 14km length.
2004	July	DfT withdrew funding approval for Leeds Supertram and South Hants Rapid Transit System projects due to cost increases.
2005	September	TfL introduced free bus and tram travel for those aged under 16.
2005	November	Serco Docklands Ltd was named as the preferred bidder for the new DLR franchise, from April 2006 to 2013. Serco had held the franchise from 1997. The new franchise was worth £400m.
2005	November	DfT declined to fund Merseytram project due to cost increases.
2005	December	DLR extension to London City Airport opened, with a temporary terminus at King George V.
2013	July	A five year £32 million rail replacement project began in 2013 and is due to be completed in 2018. Between July and November 2013 rail replacement works meant that trams were replaced by buses in certain areas of the tram system affecting figures.
2013	August	Tyne and Wear Metro had line closures lasting all of August 2013 due to major track renewals.
2014	May	Edinburgh Trams Limited commences commercial operations on the 31 May 2014. The line of route runs from Edinburgh Airport to York Place a distance of 14 kilometres. Operating 7 days a week the journey time is around 35 minutes from start to finish. A variety of tickets are offered ranging from single journey tickets to family day tickets and the Trams are 100% wheelchair accessible.
2014	November	Manchester Metrolink extension to Manchester Airport opened on 3 November 2014 adding 15 stops and many more route miles.
2015	February	Manchester Metrolink re-opened Victoria station which had been closed due to rebuilding the railway station and Metrolink stop for over a year.
2015	March	March Sheffield Supertram engineering works meant trams were replaced by buses at different times in all areas of the tram system.
2015	April	Town centre pedestrian ambience works being carried out by Croydon council required the close of town centre loop as well as improvement works on London Tramlink occurred throughout 2015/16 and is still ongoing.
2015	August	Nottingham Express Transit Phase 2 became operational on 23 August 2015 which added 10.9 miles and 27 new stops to the network.
2015	October	Between 25 October and 6 December 2015, Snow Hill stop on Midland Metro was closed for tie-in works for Birmingham City Centre expansion so a temporary service terminating at St Pauls stop was operated.
2015	December	The first phase of Manchester Metrolink’s Second City Crossing was opened on 6 December 2015.
2016	March	Two new stops, one in each direction, were added to Blackpool Trams at Norbreck North.
2016	April	A new Elmers End - Wimbledon service commenced operation in April 2016 utilising new additional platform at Wimbledon and 4 additional trams. Two further new trams entered service late 2016.
2016	May	An extension to Midland Metro through Birmingham city centre to New Street Station became fully operational from 30th May 2016.
2016	November	On 9 November 2016, a tram operated by London Tramlink and running from New Addington to Wimbledon derailed on the approach to Sandilands tram stop.
2017	January	Work started on the Manchester Metrolink Trafford Park Extension.
2017	February	Manchester Metrolink’s Second City Crossing was opened in February 2017. This incorporates some additional track and a new stop “Exchange Square”.
2017	May	Work started on Centenary Square and Edgbaston extension to Midland Metro.
2017	November	Work started on Blackpool tram North Station extension.
2018	February	New timetable on London Tramlink giving direct service from Beckenham Junction and Elmers End to Wimbledon and the New Adddington service reduced to West Croydon.
2018	June	Midland Metro Ltd commenced operation (previously operated by National Express). For this reason, figures from 2018/19 onwards may not be comparable with previous years.
2018	Summer	Rail replacement works throughout summer on Sheffield Supertram.
2018	Summer	Tyne and Wear Metro had a new Railway Traffic Management System installed.
2018	October	Sheffield Supertram Tram Train Operations started on 25th October linking Rotherham and Sheffield, the first time that tram trains have operated within UK.
2019	January	Manchester Metrolink extended Media City - Velopark service on to Ashton town centre to provide six minute frequency between Anchorage and Ashton.
2019	Summer	Rail replacement works throughout summer on Sheffield Supertram.
2019	December	Midland Metro opened a new extension at Centenary Square in Birmingham in December 2019, with 2 new stops and an additional 0.7km of route.
2020	March	The Manchester Metrolink Trafford Park line opened on 22nd March 2020, adding 6 new stops with a route length of 5.4km.
2020	March	Blackpool tramway service suspended from 29th March.
2020	June	Essential work to replace tram tracks in Nottingham city centre is set to get under way from Saturday June 20. Track between the Royal Centre and Old Market Square stops will be replaced to ensure tram services can continue to be provided safely and reliably.
2020	July	Essential work to replace tram track between the Royal Centre and Old Market Square in Nottingham has finished.
2020	July	Blackpool Trams will start running again from Sunday, July 19, to support the resort-town’s economy and provide an important service for commuters and visitors.
2020	July	Nottingham’s tram network has resumed a full service as government restrictions around public transport continue to ease.
2020	September	The new Metro fleet, which is being built by the Swiss train manufacturer, Stadler, is set to enter service in 2023, transforming the experience for passengers and boosting reliability.
2020	Summer	Rail replacement works throughout summer on Sheffield Supertram.
2020	November	The first of 27 new Metrolink trams has arrived in Manchester, boosting capacity on the network by 15% once in full service.
2020	December	A £1m joint funding package has been agreed for the next stage of technical work on proposed extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead.
2020	December	A new temporary depot, built to welcome the Tyne and Wear Metro’s new £362m fleet, has officially become operational.
2021	Whole year	The trends in the year ending March 2021 statistical series have been heavily affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) measures implemented from March 2020.
2021	January	Work to extend the West Midlands Metro from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill.
2021	February	A major line closure affecting the main route of the Tyne and Wear network started on Monday 15th February.
2021	June	West Midlands Metro services suspended for 4 days due to a technical fault.
2021	November	Storm Arwen affected several light rail and tram services in England for a few days
2021	November	West Midlands Metro services suspended for around a month due to a technical fault.
2022	Whole year	The trends in the year ending March 2022 statistical series have been affected to some extent by the coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in place.
2022	March	West Midlands Metro services suspended for around 3 months due to a technical fault.
2022	July	West Midlands Metro open new route to Edgbaston on 17 July 2022
2022	October	West Midlands Metro services affected by industrial action on 17 days between 18 October 2022 and 16 November 2022

Light rail and tram statistics questionnaire

The questions asked in the 2023 light rail and tram statistics survey were split into three sections.

Section 1: assets as at 31 March 2023

The section 1 questions were as follows:

• number of vehicles (excluding special engineering vehicles). Please count each articulated tram as one vehicle

• number of tram stops or stations

• route kilometres open (length of network for public use)

Section 2: scheduled services 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023

The section 2 questions were as follows:

• loaded tram or train kilometres operated

• total boardings (including concessionary and season tickets)

• total concessionary boardings

  • concessionary boardings for elderly or disabled people

  • concessionary boardings for young people

• total passenger kilometres travelled

• gross passenger receipts for scheduled services. Include on and off vehicle receipts (for example season tickets). Exclude other support, receipts from a local transport authority, concessionary travel reimbursement, income from special excursions and other income (for example retail or advertising).

• receipts from local transport authority (LTA)

• overall concessionary travel reimbursement

  • concessionary travel reimbursement for elderly or disabled people

  • concessionary travel reimbursement for young people

• total revenue from other sources. Other revenue not included above. Include other support (including Government support), income from special excursions, and other income (for example retail or advertising)

Section 3: workforce

This section is new for the year ending 31 March 2023. The numbers of full time equivalent staff as of 31st March 2023 employed as:

• drivers

• other on-board staff

• cleaning staff

• administrative staff

• maintenance staff

• other staff

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