RAIL passenger journeys have slumped to their lowest level since the mid-19th century, statistics from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) have revealed.
Nationally, 35 million journeys are estimated to have been made in the first quarter of 2020-21 (April-June 2020), a decrease of more than 400 million compared with the same quarter last year, highlighting the severe impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
More journeys were recorded in London and the South East compared with the rest of the country, with Govia Thameslink Railway recording 7.5 million passenger journeys, the most of any operator. Transport for Wales Rail recorded the lowest number at 369,000. The one million journeys made on ScotRail in the quarter equates to just 4.3% of journeys made in the same quarter a year earlier, and is the lowest percentage for any operator. DfT figures show rail use to be just under a third of what it was in the previous year.