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Passenger Journeys by Operator - 30 June 2024

Table reveals wide variations between different TOCs

The table below re-presents the ORR's figures for passenger journeys, showing numbers for a rolling year ended 30 June 2024 and comparing it both with the previous year and giving the most recent growth, then with 2018/19, the last pre-Covid year. The figures shown are for millions of passenger journeys.

The analysis illustrates the huge variations between franchised operators, which show growth last year varying between 26% on TransPennine and 2.9% on LNER. There is a similar story on recovery, too - with figures varying between a continuing shortfall of 32% (Merseyrail) and gains of 11.3% on EMR and 9.0% on LNER - still the only two franchised TOCs to be ahead of their 2019 patronage.

The open access operators on the East Coast route also show strong growth and both Grand Central and Hull Trains are well ahead of their pre-pandemic passenger numbers - in Hull's case now over one third. However, Heathrow Express continues to suffer from competition from the rapidly growing Elizabeth Line.

Operator30/06/202430/06/2023% change30/06/2019% Shortfall
Franchised
Avanti West Coast 33.3 27.3 22.1% 39.5 (15.7%)
c2c 35.7 34.5 3.4% 49.2 (27.5%)
Caledonian Sleeper 0.3 0.3 10.5% 0.3 (4.8%)
Chiltern Railways 21.3 19.8 7.4% 29.4 (27.6%)
Cross Country 33.9 28.3 19.6% 40.8 (17.0%)
East Midlands Trains 29.4 26.2 12.6% 26.5 11.3%
GTR 282.8 258.3 9.5% 347.8 (18.7%)
Great Western Railway 83.4 78.7 6.0% 99.8 (16.5%)
Greater Anglia 77.4 69.0 12.2% 85.8 (9.7%)
LNER 24.4 23.7 2.9% 22.4 9.0%
Merseyrail 28.6 26.2 9.2% 42.1 (31.9%)
Northern 86.0 81.7 5.3% 102.6 (16.1%)
ScotRail 83.2 68.5 21.5% 97.5 (14.7%)
South West Trains 155.4 142.2 9.3% 215.8 (28.0%)
South Eastern 130.6 119.0 9.7% 184.8 (29.3%)
TfW 27.9 23.3 19.8% 33.4 (16.5%)
Trans Pennine Express 24.3 19.3 26.0% 29.5 (17.4%)
West Midlands Trains 62.8 57.4 9.4% 79.1 (20.6%)
Total Franchised 1,220.7 1,103.6 10.6% 1,526.2 (20.0%)
TfL Concessions
Elizabeth Line† 228.2 172.4 32.4% 53.1 329.9%
London Overground 182.0 164.5 10.6% 186.5 (2.4%)
Total London Concessions 410.3 336.9 21.8% 239.6 71.3%
Non-Franchised Operators
Grand Central 1.8 1.6 6.6% 1.5 18.4%
Heathrow Express 4.4 4.6 (5.4%) 6.2 (29.6%)
Hull Trains 1.5 1.2 18.4% 1.0 42.3%
Lumo 1.3 1.1 12.4%                   -
N/A
Total Non-Franchised
8.9
8.6
2.7%
8.7
1.8%
Total GB 1,639.9 1,449.2 13.2% 1,774.5 (7.6%)

† - TfL Rail in 2019, with a much more limited service.