Network Rail has thanked passengers for following government advice as new figures have revealed that passenger numbers are down 93% at some of London's busiest stations.
The data has shown a dramatic decrease in Network Rail's Southern Region, including London Waterloo, Victoria, Cannon Street and London Charing Cross.
Passenger number decrease rose to 96% during weekends.
London Waterloo has seen the most significant decrease in footfall with a 95% reduction compared to the 94.2 million annual journeys, or around 125,000 journeys that are made through the station on an average weekday.
| Station name | Average decrease in footfall at each station between 30 March – 5 April, compared to 16 March | Annual passenger numbers (estimated) |
| Waterloo | 95% | 94.2 million |
| Victoria | 93% | 74.7 million |
| Cannon Street | 93% | 30.2 million |
| Charing Cross | 92% | 20.6 million |
What did the officials say?
John Halsall, managing director for Network Rail's Southern region, said:
“The figures show a dramatic decrease in passengers travelling through London commuter hubs and I'd like to thank everyone who is following the government advice and only travelling when it is absolutely necessary.
“The railway has been designated as a key service for the country so must remain open to ensure that those who can't work from home, can get to work, while rail freight must continue to carry essential medical supplies to hospitals and food to supermarkets.
“While it might be unusual to thank people for not travelling, this is an unprecedented situation. I want to urge people to stop travelling if they don't need to and continue to follow the guidelines so that more lives can be saved.”
Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said:
“I am delighted to be in the unprecedented position of thanking people across the country for joining together to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives, and avoid using our railways.
“Figures show that footfall at Waterloo, Victoria, Cannon Street and Charing Cross have decreased significantly – a fantastic sign that people are listening to the advice to stay home wherever possible.”
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