Passenger Journeys by Operator - September 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 September 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 28% on TransPennine and 2.6% on c2c. There is a similar story on recovery, too - with figures varying between a continuing shortfall of 30.6% (Merseyrail) and gains of 11.8% on EMR and 11.4% 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 lost 7.1% of its patronage as it continues to suffer from competition from the still-growing Elizabeth Line.
Passenger Journeys (millions)
| Operator | 30/09/2024 | 30/09/2023 | % change | 30/09/2018 | % Shortfall |
| Franchised | |||||
| Avanti West Coast | 34.25 | 28.89 | 18.5% | 38.82 | (11.8%) |
| c2c | 36.03 | 35.12 | 2.6% | 48.50 | (25.7%) |
| Caledonian Sleeper | 0.30 | 0.28 | 6.5% | 0.30 | 0.6% |
| Chiltern Railways | 22.00 | 19.87 | 10.7% | 28.83 | (23.7%) |
| Cross Country | 35.23 | 29.07 | 21.2% | 40.20 | (12.4%) |
| East Midlands Trains | 30.30 | 26.76 | 13.2% | 27.09 | 11.8% |
| GTR | 289.44 | 263.57 | 9.8% | 327.05 | (11.5%) |
| Great Western Railway | 85.81 | 79.21 | 8.3% | 101.82 | (15.7%) |
| Greater Anglia | 79.17 | 70.90 | 11.7% | 83.06 | (4.7%) |
| LNER | 24.78 | 23.97 | 3.4% | 22.25 | 11.4% |
| Merseyrail | 29.02 | 26.55 | 9.3% | 41.82 | (30.6%) |
| Northern | 87.83 | 81.86 | 7.3% | 102.55 | (14.4%) |
| ScotRail | 83.35 | 72.84 | 14.4% | 97.83 | (14.8%) |
| South West Trains | 159.73 | 144.10 | 10.8% | 214.56 | (25.6%) |
| South Eastern | 133.67 | 120.68 | 10.8% | 179.01 | (25.3%) |
| TfW | 29.47 | 23.68 | 24.5% | 33.28 | (11.5%) |
| Trans Pennine Express | 25.75 | 20.06 | 28.4% | 28.64 | (10.1%) |
| West Midlands Trains | 64.6 | 57.2 | 12.9% | 76.4 | (15.4%) |
| Total Franchised | 1,250.70 | 1,124.59 | 11.2% | 1,491.98 | (16.2%) |
| TfL Concessions | |||||
| Elizabeth Line | 233.89 | 192.62 | 21.4% | 45.91 | 409.5% |
| London Overground | 182.41 | 170.46 | 7.0% | 188.65 | (3.3%) |
| Total TfL | 416.30 | 363.08 | 14.7% | 234.56 | 77.5% |
| Non-Franchised Operators | |||||
| Grand Central | 1.75 | 1.67 | 4.9% | 1.47 | 19.0% |
| Heathrow Express | 4.29 | 4.62 | (7.1%) | 6.32 | (32.1%) |
| Hull Trains | 1.50 | 1.33 | 13.0% | 1.03 | 45.7% |
| Lumo | 1.35 | 1.19 | 13.6% | - | N/A |
| Total Non-Franchised | 8.90 | 8.81 | 1.0% | 8.82 | 0.8% |
| Total GB | 1,675.9 | 1,496.5 | 12.0% | 1,735.4 | (3.4%) |