Rail growth indicates busiest year since 1920s

Passenger numbers on the railways grew by 5.3 per cent this summer, according to figures published by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).

The organisation says the data confirms that the railways are set for their busiest peacetime year since the 1920s, with well over 1.3bn journeys expected to have been made by train by the end of 2011.

Reasons behind the rise in rail travel includes the continuing high price of petrol, says ATOC, leading more leisure travellers to switch from road to rail when taking summer breaks or family day trips.

Increasing numbers of people are also taking advantage of operators offering cheap advance tickets for those booking early. Sales of these tickets have almost doubled in the last four years, with nearly a million now bought every week.

Separate figures from ATOC show a surge in the number of people choosing to visit seaside resorts and beauty spots by rail, with passenger numbers on some small rural branch lines almost doubling over the last few years.

Overall, petrol prices rose slightly during the quarter. In September prices remained 18 per cent higher than in the same month last year. This compares with an average rise in rail fares of 6.2 per cent in January.

In total, between June 26 and September 17, there were 314.3 million passenger journeys, compared to 298.4 million in the same period last year.

Journeys in London and the south east grew by 5.8 per cent; long distance journeys by 4.0 per cent, and regional journeys by 4.4 per cent.

ATOC says that other significant factors contributing to rail travel growth include investment in better, more frequent services on many routes, high levels of punctuality and reliability, new stations, more car parking spaces and the roll-out of other services, such as Wi-Fi.

There was also a rise in the use of season tickets, used almost exclusively by commuters. Journeys increased 3.5 per cent year on year. Over half a million people commute into and out of London every weekday.

ATOC chief exective Michael Roberts, said: “Despite difficult financial times, more people are choosing to go by train when travelling to work and on business, visiting friends and family, or just taking a break. Over the summer, leisure travellers and families left the car keys at home and took advantage of cheap train tickets. The railways continue to play a central role in supporting jobs and businesses, which is why sustained investment will be the key to promoting long-term sustainable economic growth.”

For more information
www.atoc.org/media-centre/latest-press-releases