Train operators which have been brought back into public ownership have published information about their passenger numbers, which shows significant increases.

The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) compiled the statistics for station usage.

Southeastern’s fastest-growing station is Thanet Parkway in Kent, which opened in 2023. More than double the number of passenger entries and exits were recorded over the last year compared with the previous year. The most recent figure – over 123,000 – represents an increase of 116% to over 123,000. The operator believes that the rapid growth in passenger numbers proves that the new station is serving the purpose it was intended for, “to connect more people to new housing, new business and job opportunities as well as the local leisure and tourism industry.”

West Horndon station in Essex saw the fastest growth on c2c’s network, with 36% more journeys than the previous year. The station has benefited from contactless ticketing since 2024, is located near the housing growth area of Thurrock, and provides easy access to the M25.

Top of TransPennine Express’ list of growing stations was Malton in North Yorkshire, with 376,000 entries and exits, a 28% rise on the previous figure of 293,000.

Northern had two stations in joint first place, both recording 62% increases: Deansgate in Manchester and Hindley in Wigan, which grew from 148,000 to 240,000 entries and exits. Work to improve Hindley station’s facilities and accessibility will begin next month.

South Western Railway saw the most significant increase in footfall at its Woolston station in Southampton, with more than 180,000 passenger entries and exits, 74% more than in the previous year.

Greater Anglia’s Colchester Town station saw an increase of 57%, from 644,000 to over 1 million passenger entries and exits.

The biggest increase in passenger numbers on LNER’s stations came at Darlington, which recorded a 20% increase, from 2.35 million passenger entries and exits to 2.83 million. The station is currently undergoing development work, with the improved station to be available in the spring of this year.

“The strong growth we’re seeing across the network is hugely encouraging. Thanet Parkway’s extraordinary performance and the continued recovery at smaller stations illustrate the positive impact of our investment in new trains, updated stations and better services.

“Our focus is on delivering great journeys for every customer, whether they’re commuting, studying or travelling for leisure, and we’ll keep investing to make our railway even better.”

Alicia Andrews, Southeastern’s commercial director