Latest figures from the Office of Rail and Road show rail passenger numbers have surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
Passenger journeys on Great Britain’s rail network reached their highest level since 1920 during the 2025/26 financial year, according to new data published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
Between April 2025 and March 2026, passengers made 1.83 billion rail journeys across the network. The figure exceeds the previous recent high of 1.75 billion journeys recorded in 2018/19 and represents a six per cent increase compared with the 1.73 billion journeys recorded during the previous year.
Elizabeth line helps drive record rail demand
The Elizabeth line continued to play a significant role in rail growth, recording 257.4 million passenger journeys during the year. Since the opening of its central section in 2022, the route has become one of the busiest rail services in the country.
It’s great news that more people are using the railway.”
ORR said a combination of new infrastructure, continued passenger recovery following the pandemic and changing ticket purchasing habits have all contributed to rising usage levels.
Season ticket travel also continued to recover, with 234 million journeys recorded during the year, representing a four per cent increase compared with 2024/25. However, season ticket usage remains significantly below the 588 million journeys recorded before the pandemic.
Off-peak travel also increased, rising from 799 million journeys to 844 million.
Despite higher passenger numbers, total rail fare revenue reached £12.32 billion, remaining below the pre-pandemic figure of £13.39 billion.
Graham Richards, Director of Planning and Performance at ORR, said: “It’s great news that more people are using the railway.”
He added: “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.”
ORR also highlighted increased use of split ticketing, where passengers purchase multiple tickets for a single journey to reduce travel costs, which can influence overall journey statistics.
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