Rail factsheet: 2022
Published 2 February 2023
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About this release
This factsheet provides an overview of key statistics on rail in Great Britain. Statistics are for surface rail only, and do not include underground, light rail, and tram systems. Coverage is until March 2022 and includes comparisons with the previous year and the year ending March 2020. It should be noted that more recent datasets for some topics may be available. For the first time this release is published in HTML for accessibility.
Rail statistics overview
Rail in Great Britain, year ending March 2022
- 990 million passenger rail journeys were made, an increase of 155.2% on the previous year and a decrease of 43.1% on the year ending March 2020 (Office of Rail and Road (ORR) Passenger Rail Usage table 1220)
- Government support to the railways totalled £20.3 billion, a decrease of 11.2% on the previous year and an increase of 74.9% on the year ending March 2020 (ORR Rail Industry Finance table 7270)
- 73.1% of trains arrived within 59 seconds of their scheduled arrival time, a decrease of 6.7 percentage points (pp) on the previous year and an increase of 8.2pp on the year ending March 2020 (ORR Passenger Rail Performance table 3133)
- 16.87 billion net tonne kilometres (10.48 billion net tonne miles) of rail freight were transported, an increase of 11.3% on the previous year and an increase of 1.8% on the year ending March 2020 (ORR Freight Rail Usage and Performance table 1310)
- 282,537 complaints were closed, an increase of 112.4% on the previous year and a decrease of 47.2% on the year ending March 2020 (ORR Passenger Rail Service Complaints table 4100)
- 1,875 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent were emitted by passenger services on the railways, an increase of 1.6% on the previous year and a decrease of 21.9% on the year ending March 2020 (ORR Rail Emissions table 6105)
Note: The latest year is compared to the previous year of available data and the year prior to COVID-19.
Recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Domestic transport use by mode, indexed to equivalent time periods prior to COVID-19: Great Britain, 1 December 2020 to 31 March 2022
Since March 2020, public transport has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the lowest point in April and May 2020, passenger rail journeys were 96% less than an equivalent day in the previous year. Further information on the time-series of transport: Department for Transport (DfT) daily domestic transport use by mode statistics.
Over the next 2 years, rail continued to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the lowest point in January 2021, passenger rail journeys were 12% of an equivalent day prior to the pandemic. Since then, passenger rail journeys began to steadily increase again, other than a fluctuation in December 2021, due to a temporary introduction of measures to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 . At its peak in March 2022, passenger rail journeys were 73% of an equivalent day in pre-COVID-19.
Note: The 2 significant dips in Transport for London Tube usage on 1 March 2022 and 3 March 2022 are the result of two 24-hour walkouts across the London Underground network.
Railway in Great Britain
The mainline railway is comprised of:
Below is a summary of TOC key statistics:
- 2,570 stations (ORR TOC Key Statistics)
- 9,864 miles (15,874km) of route (ORR Rail Infrastructure and Assets table 6320)
- An average age of rolling stock of 16.9 years (ORR Rail Infrastructure and Assets table 6313)
- 24 Train Operating Companies (TOCs) (ORR TOC Key Statistics)
- 3,754 miles (6,042km) of electrified route (38% of total route) (ORR Rail Infrastructure and Assets table 6320)
- Approximately 62,000 full-time equivalent employees across TOCs (ORR TOC Key Statistics table)
Note: For further information, please see ORR’s TOC Key Statistics and Rail Infrastructure and Assets (Tables 6313 and 6320)
Rail travel in the context of other transport modes
Car was the most common mode of transport
Of all travel in England in 2021, rail accounted for:
In England in 2021, rail trips accounted for just over 1% of all trips. The distance travelled and the time spent travelling by rail increased in England in 2021 from the previous year but was still considerably lower than 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic, there has been an increase in the distance and time people spend walking.
Note: This data covers England only and calendar year 2021. For more information please see DfT’s National Travel Survey 2021 (NTS0303)
Rail usage and users
Prior to the pandemic, long-term rail demand was increasing
Rail passenger journeys in Great Britain, millions
Passenger rail journeys almost doubled (96% increase) in the 20 years before the pandemic, reaching a record of nearly 1.8 billion journeys in the year ending March 2019. Despite seeing a 155.2% increase on the previous year, rail passenger journeys in the year ending March 2022 were still 44% lower than this peak, at 990 million.
Top 10 most used stations in Great Britain, year ending March 2022
| Station | Entries and Exits |
|---|---|
| London Waterloo | 41,426,042 |
| London Victoria | 36,776,338 |
| London Bridge | 33,309,348 |
| London Liverpool Street | 32,165,310 |
| Stratford (London) | 28,182,238 |
| London Paddington | 23,870,510 |
| London Euston | 23,097,606 |
| Birmingham New Street | 22,682,526 |
| London Kings Cross | 20,476,492 |
| Manchester Piccadilly | 19,581,442 |
Note: For more information please see ORR’s Passenger Rail Usage (Table 1220) and Estimates of station usage (Table 1410)
Passenger demand rose in all major cities due to easing of measures to control the transmission of COVID-19
Passenger Arrivals and Departures by City (outside London)
| City | AM Peak Arrivals (07:00 to 09:59) | All Day Arrivals | PM Peak Departures (16:00 to 18:59) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 21,586 | 73,874 | 24,206 |
| Brighton | 4,315 | 20,854 | 5,572 |
| Bristol | 4,746 | 19,947 | 6,099 |
| Cambridge | 5,849 | 19,302 | 5,884 |
| Cardiff | 5,347 | 30,505 | 8,215 |
| Leeds | 12,554 | 42,043 | 12,306 |
| Leicester | 3,323 | 18,321 | 4,145 |
| Liverpool | 15,291 | 44,287 | 15,180 |
| Manchester | 15,771 | 59,645 | 17,376 |
| Newcastle | 2,480 | 20,129 | 3,545 |
| Nottingham | 2,344 | 11,850 | 3,734 |
| Reading | 12,739 | 66,273 | 14,717 |
| Sheffield | 4,286 | 20,206 | 4,843 |
In autumn 2021, there was a recovery in rail travel compared to the same period in the previous year (when measures to limit the transmission of COVID-19 significantly reduced travel). The increase in all day arrivals into major cities in England and Wales (outside London) from autumn 2020 to autumn 2021 was 187%, to 447,236 all day arrivals. AM peak arrivals increased by 187% for the cities outside London. PM peak departures increased by 196%.
London remained the city with the highest rail passenger numbers. Passenger arrivals throughout the day were over 8 times that of Birmingham (the city with the second highest).
Passenger Arrivals and Departures by Station (London)
| London station | AM Peak Arrivals (07:00 to 09:59) | All Day Arrivals | PM Peak Departures (16:00 to 18:59) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant and Castle | 9,543 | 18,073 | 7,598 |
| Euston | 13,140 | 41,039 | 13,167 |
| Fenchurch Street | 12,186 | 20,285 | 10,398 |
| Kings Cross | 6,101 | 22,248 | 7,406 |
| Liverpool Street | 37,396 | 77,907 | 36,431 |
| London Bridge | 77,296 | 156,568 | 66,140 |
| Marylebone | 6,867 | 15,293 | 6,413 |
| Old Street (for Moorgate) | 5,314 | 8,678 | 4,300 |
| Paddington | 14,423 | 43,374 | 1,4094 |
| St Pancras International | 23,912 | 58,339 | 22,028 |
| Vauxhall (for Waterloo) | 42,223 | 95,172 | 36,141 |
| Victoria | 32,768 | 75,763 | 29,252 |
During autumn 2021, there were large increases in all-day arrivals into London stations, on average a rise of 112% compared to the same period in the previous year. The London station with the most all-day arrivals was London Bridge with 156,568 arrivals. London Bridge also had the highest number of AM peak arrivals with 77,296, almost as many arrivals as Liverpool Street saw throughout a whole day.
Note: This data represents arrivals and departures for a typical autumn weekday in 2021 and does not reflect a typical weekday across the entire calendar year. For more information please see DfT’s Rail passenger numbers and crowding on weekdays in major cities in England and Wales: 2021
Peak travel times begin to return to pre-COVID-19 patterns in 2021
Proportion of Passenger Arrivals and Departures by Hour, Regional Major Cities: Autumn 2019, 2020, and 2021
In regional major cities in 2020, the pre-COVID-19 2-peak distribution was replaced by a more even spread of rail travel across the day as people avoided peak travel. In 2021, we saw the AM and PM peaks begin to slowly return .
On a typical autumn day in 2021, 25% of arrivals occurred in the 3-hour morning peak, the same proportion as the equivalent period in the previous year. A larger proportion of passengers travelled in the evening peak (29%) in cities outside London than the morning peak.
Proportion of Passenger Arrivals and Departures by Hour, London Stations: Autumn years ending March 2019, 2020, and 2021
In 2019 (and other years prior to the pandemic), the distribution of journeys into and out of London was defined by 2 peaks: a larger more pronounced peak during AM peak hours and a less pronounced PM peak that lasts longer. This pattern was affected during 2020 and 2021 as fewer commuters travelled into and out of London.
On a typical autumn day in 2021, 632,740 rail journeys were made into central London. Of these, 44% were made in the morning peak. On a typical autumn day in 2019 there were 1.1 million arrivals, of which, 55% were during the 3-hour morning peak
Note: This data represents arrivals and departures for a typical autumn weekday in 2021 and does not reflect a typical weekday across the entire calendar year. For more information please see DfT’s Rail passenger numbers and crowding on weekdays in major cities in England and Wales: 2021
Commuting was the most common journey purpose of rail passengers
Rail journey purpose, England 2021
In England in 2021, almost half of all rail journeys were for commuting. This share rose by 12pp from 37% in 2020 to 49% in 2021. 32% of all rail journeys were for leisure.
Rail trips per person per year by age and sex, England 2021
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 16 | 3 | 5 |
| 17 to 20 | 26 | 19 |
| 21 to 29 | 28 | 30 |
| 30 to 39 | 12 | 15 |
| 40 to 49 | 26 | 13 |
| 50 to 59 | 10 | 5 |
| 60 to 69 | 5 | 7 |
| 70 and above | 3 | 1 |
Males undertook 17% more rail trips on average (12 trips per person per year) than females (10 trips per person per year).
Note: This data covers England only and calendar year 2021. For more information please see DfT’s National Travel Survey 2021 (NTS0409 and NTS0601)
Disabled Passenger Rail Cards in circulation from the year ending March 2013 to year ending March 2022
There were 218,448 Disabled Persons Railcards in circulation in March 2022, an increase of 47% compared with the previous year. However, this represents a decrease of 11% compared with its peak in the year ending March 2020.
On average in England in 2021, persons with mobility difficulties made 2 rail trips per year compared with 14 rail trips per year for those without mobility difficulties. Those with mobility difficulties made 39% fewer car trips and 5% more bus trips in 2021 than those without mobility difficulties.
Note: For more information please see DfT’s National Travel Survey 2021 (NTS0709) and ORR’s Disabled Persons Railcards (Table 4310)
Rail performance
Punctuality decreased and cancellations increased in the year ending March 2022
Percentage of trains ‘on time’ and percentage cancellation score, year ending March 2015 to year ending March 2022 (Moving annual averages)
In the year ending March 2022, there was a 9.6% increase in planned train services and a 6.7pp reduction in punctuality compared with the previous year.
In the year ending March 2022, 3.3% of trains were classified as cancellations in Great Britain. This represents a 1.2pp increase in cancellations when compared with the previous year.
Note: This industry measure is an indicator of disruption against the timetable operating on the day. The timetable is finalised at 22:00 the previous evening, and trains removed from the timetable before then will not be included.
Note: ‘On time’ services are those that arrive at the station early or within 59 seconds of the scheduled time. This is different from the Public Performance Measure (PPM) used previously. For more information please see ORR’s Passenger rail performance (Tables 3133 and 3123)
The number of passenger service complaints closed has increased
Top 5 complaint categories, Great Britain, year ending March 2022
In the year ending March 2022, 282,537 complaints were closed by train operators, an increase of 112.4% compared to the previous year .
Note: For more information please see ORR’s Passenger rail service complaints (Table 4130)
The amount of freight moved by rail increased in the year ending March 2022
Rail freight moved by commodity, year ending March 2001 to year ending March 2022: billion net tonne kilometres
In the year ending March 2022, the total amount of rail freight transported increased to 16.87 billion net tonne kilometres (10.48 billion net tonne miles), an 11.3% increase compared to the previous year. However, this is still significantly lower than at its peak in the year ending 2014, when the total amount of rail freight transported was 22.70 billion net tonne kilometres (14.11 billion net tonne miles).
Note: Freight moved measures the amount of freight moved on the railway network, taking into account the weight of the load and the distance carried. It is measured in net tonne kilometres. For more information please see ORR’s Freight rail usage and performance (Table 1310)
Rail remains one of the safest modes of transport
Fatalities on the railway in Great Britain, indexed to year ending March 2003 = 100, year ending March 2003 to year ending March 2022
Rail was one of the safest modes of transport with just under 1 fatality per billion passenger miles in the year ending March 2022. Since the year ending March 2003 in Great Britain, there has been a steady decline in non-suicide fatalities on the railway.
Note: The figures are only for mainline incidences and do not include figures for London underground and non-mainline services. For more information please see ORR’s Rail safety (Table 5200)
Passenger rail emissions increased but are on a downward trend
Estimates of passenger carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by fuel: United Kingdom, year ending March 2012 to year ending March 2022: kilotonnes
Despite an increase in electricity consumption, the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from electricity fell by 8% to 795 kilotonnes. Since the year ending March 2017, emissions from electricity consumption have been lower than emissions from diesel consumption despite increases in electricity usage. This is predominantly due to a transition towards renewable energy sources in the electricity sector in Great Britain.
There was an increase in diesel consumption, which grew by 11% to 391 million litres. This resulted in 1,080 kilotonnes of CO2e emissions. Compared with 2 years ago, emissions from diesel decreased by 18% which reflects the change in network traffic since the pandemic.
Note: For more information please see ORR’s Rail emissions (table 6105)
Rail finance and Government support
Government funding of rail in Great Britain has been high for 2 years
Net subsidy to TOCs in Great Britain, year ending March 1986 to year ending March 2022, £billions, real terms based on 2022 prices
In the year ending March 2022, TOCs received an overall subsidy of £6.6 billion (bn) from Government, a 37% decrease on the previous year. Network Rail received a grant of £6.5bn, a 5.7% decrease on the previous year. Network Rail and HS2 also received a total of £6.8bn in enhancements funding, a 32.3% increase from the previous year.
Despite the decrease in net subsidy to TOCs in Great Britain in the year ending March 2022, these numbers are still significantly higher when compared with pre-COVID-19 years. This is largely as a result of a reduction in fares income during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between the year ending March 1986 and year ending March 2019, the average net subsidy to TOCs in Great Britain was £1.2bn, compared with an average of £8.6bn over the last 2 years. Total government operational support provided to the rail industry was £31bn over the past 2 years.
Note: Government funding covers payments made from or to DfT, Transport Scotland, Welsh Government, Passenger Transport Executives and Transport for London.
Note: Operational funding includes payments to or from franchised train operators, passenger transport executive grants, payments to infrastructure managers and freight grants.
Rail share of Total Transport Expenditure
The railways accounted for 58% of public transport expenditure in Great Britain in the year ending March 2022 .
Income by source, real terms
Note: The combined £43bn in Government support in the last 2 years includes total operational funding as well as total enhancements funding and miscellaneous funding.
Note: For more information please see ORR’s Rail industry finance, Table 7270
Railway public expenditure by UK Super Region
46% of public spend on the railways benefitted the South, including London (which made up 29% of all railways spend). Over the last 4 years, there has been a slight decrease in the proportion of public expenditure on transport incurred in the South.
Note: HM Treasury Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) covers all public expenditure (capital and current) on rail, including DfT, local authorities, public corporations, other government departments and devolved administrations. The CRA analysis is for UK and includes all country filters apart from Northern Ireland. Note that ‘outside UK’ and ‘without region’ has been excluded. For more information please see HM Treasury Country and Regional Analysis 2022
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