The number of people travelling by train is now the highest since 1920.

Statistics of passenger numbers date back to 1872, and peaked at 2 billion journeys in the years 1919 and 1920. The figures are revealed in annual data released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), with new services, such as the Elizabeth line, and more flexibility in the way in which tickets can be purchased, contributing to the increase.

Although the number of season tickets shows an increase, they are still well below what they were before the COVID pandemic.

The figures relate to the period between April 2025 and March 2026, with 1.83 billion journeys recorded on Great Britain’s railway network, which exceeds the previous highest total of 1.75 billion passenger journeys recorded in the year April 2018 to March 2019. It is also 6% higher than the 1.73 billion journeys recorded last year.

A major contributor to the increase is the Elizabeth line, where 257.4 million journeys were recorded last year, with passenger numbers increasing substantially after the central section opened in 2022; stations on the central section of the line are now some of Great Britain’s busiest.

Since the pandemic, season ticket journeys have continued to rise, with 234 million journeys recorded last year, up 4% from the year before, although this is well below the 588 million before the pandemic.

Other areas showing an increase include off-peak journeys, which rose from 799 million to 844 million in the year, a 6% increase. However, with a total fare revenue of £12.32 billion, this is still well below the pre-pandemic total of £13.39 billion.

The way in which passengers purchase tickets is also changing, with an increase in ‘split ticketing’, where it costs less overall to buy two or more tickets for a journey than the price of a single ticket. In these cases, these tickets are counted as more than one journey.

Among the train operators recording increased passenger numbers is Southeastern, which recorded double the number of passenger entries and exits over the last year compared with the previous year.

Last summer, the Rail Delivery Group conducted the largest survey of passengers ever undertaken to find out their views of the railway network, their experiences, their views on their journeys, and what could be improved.

“It’s great news that more people are using the railway. The Elizabeth line has been a massive boost to rail, but behind the usage figures, there is a significant shift to how and when we use the rail network. As more people are using the railway, it’s important to have a relentless focus in ensuring trains are as punctual and reliable as possible.”

Graham Richards, Director, Planning and Performance