Skip to main content

Growing passenger numbers, fare rises for UK rail

According to Rail Travel, a new market report from business intelligence provider Key Note, in 2013/2014 the total value of passenger receipts for UK rail travel increased by 6.2 per cent year-on-year, and grew by 32.5 per cent over a five-year period. In addition, passenger journeys grew by 23.5 per cent over the five-year review period, with passenger kilometres travelled also growing by 17.9 per cent over the same timeframe. For the purpose of this report, the rail industry in the UK has been split in
December 16, 2014 Read time: 3 mins
According to Rail Travel, a new market report from business intelligence provider Key Note, in 2013/2014 the total value of passenger receipts for UK rail travel increased by 6.2 per cent year-on-year, and grew by 32.5 per cent over a five-year period. In addition, passenger journeys grew by 23.5 per cent over the five-year review period, with passenger kilometres travelled also growing by 17.9 per cent over the same timeframe.

For the purpose of this report, the rail industry in the UK has been split into four distinct sectors. Firstly, National Rail, which represents the largest share of the industry in terms of passenger receipts. Secondly, urban rail services, which include underground systems such as those in London and Glasgow, in addition to other metro, light rail and tram operators. Thirdly, Northern Ireland Railway services, which are analysed separately to National Rail services in Great Britain. Finally, international rail services, which consist of the shuttle service provided by Eurotunnel that operates between Folkstone and Calais, in addition to the Eurostar passenger service.

The UK Government plays a vital role in the country’s rail sector, and continues to considerably support the industry, spending over US$7.8 billion in 2013/2014 subsidising rail travel.

This figure is an increase of 13.1 per cent on the level seen in 2009/2010. In addition, in March 2014, the Government outlined a five-year investment strategy for the sector worth an estimated US$59.7 billion. This comes alongside commitments to improve upon the UK’s high-speed rail services (HS2 and HS3), which will represent substantial investment in the UK rail industry. The Government also impacts upon the sector by regulating rail fares, which continue to rise above the rate of inflation, thereby facilitating a steady increase in overall passenger receipts.

Other trends evaluated in this report include the consumer price indices for rail travel fares, in addition to a comparison of rail against alternative modes of transport. The report analyses national rail infrastructure, including such factors as overall track length, the number of stations and the age of rolling stock. For exclusive use in this report, Key Note commissioned a survey of 1,000 people in Great Britain to evaluate consumers’ rail travel patterns, including the reasons for rail travel and the frequency of using rail services for various outings.

Looking ahead, Key Note estimates that the total value of rail receipts in the UK will grow by 25.3 per cent over the five-year period between 2014/2015 and 2018/2019. Key Note further forecasts that the number of passenger journeys on rail services in the UK will also grow robustly in the coming years, as will the overall number of passenger kilometres travelled via rail.

Related Content

  • Alternative fuel buses gaining significant traction
    April 25, 2012
    According to a recent report from Pike Research, the trend toward cleaner transit buses will continue over the next several years, and by 2015 the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts that alternative fuel vehicles will represent more than 50 per cent of the 64,000 total transit buses that will be delivered worldwide during that year, up from 28 per cent of total bus deliveries in 2010.
  • Costing transit is complicated case
    August 19, 2015
    David Crawford welcomes fresh thinking from Canada. Public transit improvements can bring society “significantly more value” than conventional transport models normally indicate, argues Canadian researcher Todd Litman. “Traditional evaluation practices originally developed to assess roadway improvements, and focus primarily on vehicle travel speeds and operating costs. “They do not generally quantify or monetise basic mobility benefits, vehicle ownership and parking cost savings, or efficient land developme
  • Brake calls for action as road casualty figures rise
    February 3, 2017
    Brake, the UK road safety charity, is calling on the government to take action to reduce the numbers killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads. In recent years road safety policy has been diminished by a lack of interest, urgency and resources, the consequences of which are becoming increasingly apparent as our road casualty figures begin to rise. Brake is calling on the government to act now to uphold its commitment to zero road deaths and injuries on the road. Road casualty figures just released
  • Transportation management market set to grow 12.3 per cent by 2019
    February 13, 2014
    MarketsandMarkets recently conducted a study on the Transportation Management Market [Transportation Management Systems, Fleet Management Solutions, Freight Audit & Payment, Route Planning & Optimisation, Managed Services, Business Services] - Global Advancements Market Forecasts and Analysis (2014 - 2019), which analysed and studied the major market drivers, restraints, and opportunities in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific (including Japan), and Latin America. The study report