List of busiest railway stations in Great Britain

Last updated

This is a list of the busiest railway stations in Great Britain on the National Rail network for the 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 financial year. The dataset records patterns of mobility for the first full year after travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom were completely eliminated, with increased levels of mobility when compared with the 2021–22 data although still not fully recovered from 2019–20. During 2022–23 there were 1,385 million passenger journeys on the network, compared to 990 million in 2021–22 and 1,739 million in 2019–20. [1] The opening of the Elizabeth line during 2022 increased passenger numbers at several stations and caused new entries to appear in the ranking at Tottenham Court Road (7th) and Bond Street (19th). The busiest station was London Liverpool Street, replacing London Waterloo which was top of the ranking the previous year, and had been the busiest for over a decade (barring 2020-21, where Stratford was briefly the busiest).

Contents

Methodology

The figures are collected by the Office of Rail and Road, and are estimates based on ticket usage data use of an Origin Destination Matrix, a comprehensive matrix of rail flows between stations throughout Great Britain in the financial year of 2023–23. The data count entries and exits at any station. Note that the data covers mainland Great Britain and surrounding small islands (such as the Isle of Wight), not the United Kingdom, and so exclude tickets within Northern Ireland and Eurostar. There are various further limits to the data due to the variety of ticketing options available on rail services within the UK; these are outlined in full in the report on the data. [2] Only tickets sold for National Rail services are included; some stations may also be served by underground metro or urban light rail networks. Stations serving solely the London Underground, light rail, special tours or heritage railways are therefore excluded. The London Overground and Elizabeth line are included in the data. Data for 2022–23 was published on 14 December 2023.

All stations

During 2022–23 there were 18 stations with more than 20 million entries and exits, compared to 9 stations the previous year and 20 in 2019–20.

RankRailway stationAnnual entries/exits

(millions)

2022–23 [3]

Annual entries/exits

(millions)

2021–22

LocationMain servicesNumber of platformsInterchange systemsImage
1 London Liverpool Street 80.44832.165 London 19 [note 1] London Underground Liverpool Street Station Concourse, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
2 London Paddington 59.18223.870London15 [note 2] London Underground Paddington Station rush hour.jpg
3 London Waterloo 57.78941.426London24 [note 3] London Underground Waterloo-Station-2013.JPG
4 London Bridge 47.65733.309London15London Underground London January 5 2018 (47) London Bridge Station (38813334494).jpg
5 London Victoria 45.56336.776London
19London Underground London Victoria Station.jpg
6 Stratford 44.13628.182London
9 [note 4]
2012 Olympic Park viewed over Stratford Station from the roof of The Stratford Centre - geograph.org.uk - 1128399.jpg
7 Tottenham Court Road 34.877N/ALondonElizabeth line2 [note 5] London Underground Tottenham Court Road stn entrance 28th March 2022 01.jpg
8 London St Pancras International 33.29618.995London15
St Pancras Railway Station 2012-06-23.jpg
9 Farringdon 31.4596.865London
  • Thameslink
  • Elizabeth line
4 [note 5] London Underground Farringdon station new building open 2012.JPG
10 London Euston 31.31823.097London
18London Underground Euston Station London - geograph.org.uk - 1309275.jpg
11 Birmingham New Street 30.72622.682 Birmingham
12 West Midlands Metro 2015-09-23 New St East Entrance.jpg
12 Leeds 23.96419.263 Leeds
  • East Coast Main Line
  • Midland Main Line
  • Cross Country Route
18 Overview of Leeds City railway station 04.jpg
13 Manchester Piccadilly 23.55819.581 Manchester West Coast Main Line14 Manchester Metrolink Piccadilly Station Manchester - geograph.org.uk - 692981.jpg
14 Whitechapel 23.3079.273London
  • London Overground
  • Elizabeth line
4 [note 5] London Underground New Whitechapel entrance building, August 2021 02.jpg
15 London King's Cross 23.28720.476London East Coast Main Line 11 [note 6] London Underground KingsCrossOutside.JPG
16 Clapham Junction 20.79017.397London
  • South West Main Line
  • West of England Main Line
  • Brighton Main Line
  • London Overground
17 Clapham Junction Railway Station South Western Entrance.jpg
17 Glasgow Central 20.76715.322 Glasgow West Coast Main Line17 Glasgow Subway [note 7] GlasgowCentral.jpg
18 Highbury & Islington 20.60117.816London
6 [note 5] London Underground HighburyIslington North London Line look east June 2010.jpg
19 Bond Street 19.400N/ALondonElizabeth line2 [note 5] London Underground Bond Street station - entrance on Marylebone Lane.jpg
20 East Croydon 18.51414.504London
  • Brighton Main Line
  • Thameslink
6 Tramlink East Croydon station.jpg

See also

Notes

  1. One platform was removed and two added with the opening of the Elizabeth line
  2. Excluding London Underground, platform 13 closed, two platforms were added with the opening of the Elizabeth line
  3. Platforms 25 and 26 are part of the London Underground
  4. Excluding London Underground and Docklands Light Railway, 4 and 7 disused, 3A, 4A, 4B, and 10A exist
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Excluding London Underground
  6. Platform numbering starts at 0
  7. St Enoch station is close by

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterloo tube station</span> London Underground station

Waterloo is a London Underground station located beneath Waterloo National Rail station. As of 2022, it is the 2nd busiest station on the London Underground, with 68.72 million users. It is served by four lines: the Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern and Waterloo & City lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool Street station</span> London Underground and railway station

Liverpool Street station, also known as London Liverpool Street, is a major central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, in the ward of Bishopsgate Without. It is the terminus of the West Anglia Main Line to Cambridge, the Great Eastern Main Line to Norwich, commuter trains serving east London and destinations in the East of England, and the Stansted Express service to Stansted Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tottenham Court Road station</span> National rail and London Underground station

Tottenham Court Road is a London Underground and Elizabeth line station in St Giles in the West End of London. The station is served by the Central line, the Elizabeth line and the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line. The station is located at St Giles Circus, the junction of Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street, New Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road and is in Travelcard Zone 1, with a second entrance at Dean Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finsbury Park station</span> London Underground and railway station

Finsbury Park is an intermodal interchange station in North London for London Underground, National Rail and London Buses services. The station is the third busiest Underground station outside Zone 1, with over 33 million passengers using the station in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highbury & Islington station</span> London Underground and railway station

Highbury & Islington is an interchange station in the London Borough of Islington, North London for London Underground, London Overground and National Rail services

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratford station</span> London Underground, Docklands Light Railway and National rail station

Stratford is a major multi-level interchange station serving the district of Stratford and the mixed-use development known as Stratford City, in the London Borough of Newham, East London for London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and Elizabeth line services. National Rail services also operate on the West Anglia Main Line and the Great Eastern Main Line, 4 miles 3 chains (6.5 km) from Liverpool Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ealing Broadway station</span> London Underground and railway station

Ealing Broadway is a major single-level interchange station located in Ealing, in the London Borough of Ealing, West London for London Underground services and also Elizabeth line services on the National Rail Great Western Main Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farringdon station</span> National rail and London Underground station

Farringdon is an interchange station located in Clerkenwell, London, England, in the London Borough of Islington, just outside the boundary of the City of London for London Underground, Elizabeth line and National Rail services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barking station</span> Interchange railway station in London

Barking is an interchange station serving the town of Barking, east London. It is served by London Underground, London Overground and National Rail main line services. It is located on Station Parade, in the town centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington (Olympia) station</span> London Underground, London Overground and National rail station

Kensington (Olympia) is an interchange station located in Kensington, in West London for London Overground and National Rail services. Limited London Underground services also run here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Essex Road railway station</span> Railway station in Greater London, England

Essex Road is a National Rail station in Canonbury in Greater London, England, and is on the Northern City Line between Old Street and Highbury & Islington, 1 mile 59 chains (2.8 km) down the line from Moorgate, and is in Travelcard Zone 2. The station is at the junction of Essex Road, Canonbury Road and New North Road, with the present entrance on Canonbury Road. Operated by Great Northern, it is the only deep-level underground station in London served exclusively by National Rail trains. Between 1933 and 1975 the station was operated as part of the London Underground, as a short branch of the Northern line. Between 1922 and 1948 the station name was Canonbury & Essex Road. The name reverted to the original form in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walthamstow Central station</span> London Underground and London Overground station

Walthamstow Central is an interchange station located in Walthamstow in the London Borough of Waltham Forest for London Underground, London Overground and London Buses services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackhorse Road station</span> London Overground and London Underground station

Blackhorse Road is an interchange station, located at the junction of Blackhorse Road/Blackhorse Lane with Forest Road in Walthamstow, London for London Underground and London Overground services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Ruislip station</span> London Underground and railway station

West Ruislip is a station on Ickenham High Road on the borders of Ickenham and western Ruislip in the London Borough of Hillingdon in Greater London, England,formerly in Middlesex. It is served by London Underground (LU) and National Rail trains on different platforms. It is the western terminus of the London Underground Central line's West Ruislip branch; Ruislip Gardens is the next station towards central London. The Central line and Chiltern Railways platforms and ticket office hall are managed by LU. The closest station on the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines is Ickenham, 1.1 miles (1.8 km) from West Ruislip Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenford station</span> London Underground & National Rail station

Greenford is a London Underground and National Rail station in Greenford, Greater London, and is owned and managed by London Underground. It is the terminus of the National Rail Greenford branch line, 2 miles 40 chains down the line from West Ealing and 9 miles 6 chains measured from London Paddington. On the Central line, it is between Perivale and Northolt stations while on National Rail, the next station to the south on the branch is South Greenford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrow-on-the-Hill station</span> London Underground and railway station

Harrow-on-the-Hill is an interchange railway station in Harrow, served by suburban London Underground Metropolitan line services and commuter National Rail services on the London–Aylesbury line. It is 9 miles 18 chains down the line from London Marylebone. Harrow-on-the-Hill is the final Metropolitan line stop from Central London before the line splits with the main branch towards Moor Park and the diverged Uxbridge branch towards Uxbridge. It is in Travelcard Zone 5.

References

  1. "Estimates of station usage 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023" (PDF). Office of Rail and Road. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  2. "Station usage quality and methodology report" (PDF). Office of Rail and Road data portal. Office of Rail and Road. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  3. "Estimates of station usage". ORR Data Portal. Retrieved 14 December 2023.