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.[note 1]
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.
Rank | Railway station | Annual entries/exits
(millions) 2022–23[3] |
Annual entries/exits
(millions) 2021–22 |
Location | Main services | Number of platforms | Interchange systems | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | London Liverpool Street | 80.448 | 32.165 | London | 19[note 2] | London Underground | ![]() | |
2 | London Paddington | 59.182 | 23.870 | London | 15[note 3] | London Underground | ![]() | |
3 | London Waterloo | 57.789 | 41.426 | London | 24[note 4] | London Underground | ||
4 | London Bridge | 47.657 | 33.309 | London | 15 | London Underground | ![]() | |
5 | London Victoria | 45.563 | 36.776 | London |
|
19 | London Underground | ![]() |
6 | Stratford | 44.136 | 28.182 | London |
|
9[note 5] |
|
![]() |
7 | Tottenham Court Road | 34.877 | N/A | London | Elizabeth line | 2[note 6] | London Underground | ![]() |
8 | London St Pancras International | 33.296 | 18.995 | London |
|
15 |
|
![]() |
9 | Farringdon | 31.459 | 6.865 | London |
|
4[note 6] | London Underground | |
10 | London Euston | 31.318 | 23.097 | London |
|
18 | London Underground | ![]() |
11 | Birmingham New Street | 30.726 | 22.682 | Birmingham |
|
12 | West Midlands Metro | ![]() |
12 | Leeds | 23.964 | 19.263 | Leeds |
|
18 | ![]() | |
13 | Manchester Piccadilly | 23.558 | 19.581 | Manchester | West Coast Main Line | 14 | Manchester Metrolink | ![]() |
14 | Whitechapel | 23.307 | 9.273 | London |
|
4[note 6] | London Underground | ![]() |
15 | London King's Cross | 23.287 | 20.476 | London | East Coast Main Line | 11[note 7] | London Underground | |
16 | Clapham Junction | 20.790 | 17.397 | London |
|
17 | ![]() | |
17 | Glasgow Central | 20.767 | 15.322 | Glasgow | West Coast Main Line | 17 | Glasgow Subway[note 8] | ![]() |
18 | Highbury & Islington | 20.601 | 17.816 | London |
|
6[note 6] | London Underground | ![]() |
19 | Bond Street | 19.400 | N/A | London | Elizabeth line | 2[note 6] | London Underground | ![]() |
20 | East Croydon | 18.514 | 14.504 | London |
|
6 | Tramlink | ![]() |
See also
- List of busiest railway stations in Great Britain (2021–22)
- List of busiest railway stations in Great Britain (2020–21)
- List of busiest railway stations in Great Britain (2019–20)
- List of busiest London Underground stations
- List of busiest railway stations in Europe
- List of busiest railway stations in North America
- List of busiest railway stations in West Yorkshire
Notes
- ^ Waterloo had been the busiest station for over a decade, except for during 2020-21 when Stratford was the busiest station.
- ^ One platform was removed and two added with the opening of the Elizabeth line
- ^ Excluding London Underground, platform 13 closed, two platforms were added with the opening of the Elizabeth line
- ^ Platforms 25 and 26 are part of the London Underground
- ^ Excluding London Underground and Docklands Light Railway, 4 and 7 disused, 3A, 4A, 4B, and 10A exist
- ^ a b c d e Excluding London Underground
- ^ Platform numbering starts at 0
- ^ St Enoch station is close by
References
- ^ "Estimates of station usage 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023" (PDF). Office of Rail and Road. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Estimates of station usage". ORR Data Portal. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
External links
- Station usage - Main page