Updated
12.20

The
number


of
railway
passengers
travelling
to
work
has
reached
30
per
cent,
according
to
the
Department
for
Transport,
which
says
commuting
also
tends
to
be
concentrated
on
Tuesdays,
Wednesdays
and
Thursdays.

The
most
likely
reason
for
using
trains
is
travelling
for
leisure,
which
involved
54
per
cent
of
journeys.
Another
15
per
cent
of
passengers
were
making
journeys
for
business
purposes,
apart
from
commuting.

Many
people
are
using
trains
regularly.
Of
these,
61
per
cent
said
they
travelled
by
rail
for
leisure
at
least
once
a
month,
and
41
per
cent
say
they
commute
by
train
at
least
once
week,
with
midweek
travel
being
most
common.

The
figures
are
the
result
of
new
research
by
the
DfT.

Before
privatisation,
in
1989,
the
proportion
of
journeys
made
using
season
tickets,
which
tended
to
be
the
broad
equivalent
of
commuting,
reached
a
peak
of
one
journey
in
two.
This
proportion
had
fallen
to
42
per
cent
by
2002
but
then
rose
again,
reaching
48
per
cent
in
2008.
By
2019,
the
last
year
before
the
pandemic,
it
had
fallen
back
to
34
per
cent.

This
decline
continued
after
the
pandemic
had
started,
reaching
14.6
per
cent
in
2022-3
and
easing
back
further
to
13.34
per
cent
in
2023-4,
suggesting
that
many
commuters
are
no
longer
using
conventional
season
tickets
because
they
do
not
travel
every
day.

Rail
minister
Lord
Peter
Hendy
said:
‘Our
railway
is
the
backbone
of
our
economy,
connecting
people
across
the
country
and
fuelling
business,
growth
and
opportunity,
supporting
the
Plan
for
Change.

‘This
research
shows
thousands
of
passengers
choose
the
train
for
their
leisure
travel.
To
go
and
see
family
and
friends,
go
on
holiday
or
go
to
big
events
whether
its
concerts,
festivals
or
a
football
match,
the
train
is
the
best
way
to
get
there.’

Campaign
for
Better
Transport
chief
executive
Ben
Plowden
said:
‘Rail
enriches
our
lives
and
supports
the
leisure
and
tourism
sector.
Every
time
a
leisure
traveller
chooses
rail,
it
reduces
traffic
on
our
roads,
air
pollution
and
carbon
emissions,
so
Government
and
rail
industry
need
to
make
sure
they
are
meeting
the
needs
of
leisure
travellers.
This
includes
affordable
fares,
space
on
board
for
luggage
and
bikes,
and
managing
work
on
the
network
so
it
minimises
disruption
to
services
during
busy
holiday
periods
and
sporting
fixtures.’

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