The latest statistics from the Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road show that the railway industry’s recovery from the effects of the Covid pandemic is continuing to the point where new growth is in sight.

Passenger numbers for May reached a record monthly high average of 104 per cent a day compared with the totals achieved before the pandemic.

The ORR says there were 1,728.7 million journeys (counting each train used as a separate journey) from April 2024 to March 2025. This was 7 per cent higher compared with a year earlier, while revenues from passenger traffic were up by 8 per cent, at £11.5 billion.

In 2018-2019 there were 1,753 million journeys, which was the highest total in modern times, but this fell to 1,738.7 million in 2019-2020 and then 387.9 million in 2020-2021 as a result of Covid lockdowns.

The amount of freight carried by train also increased. In the 12 months to March this year the volume of cargoes rose by 5.1 per cent, compared with the previous year.

Railway Industry Association chief executive Darren Caplan said: ‘Taken together, these statistics from the ORR, DfT and Network Rail all show rail going firmly in the right direction, with significant year-on-year increases in the number of passengers, journeys, revenue and freight volumes, which is encouraging in rail’s landmark 200th year.

‘With passenger numbers predicted to grow further, potentially doubling by 2050 and a Government target to increase freight by 75 per cent in the same period, the decades ahead have the potential to be hugely positive.

‘We and our members look forward to working with the Government, devolved authorities, rail clients and other policy makers and influencers, to help grow a sustainable and dynamic rail network – whether track or train related – and a properly resourced and skilled supply sector in the years ahead. To this end, in addition to the Spending Review we hope to see Infrastructure and Industrial Strategies which are supportive to rail published in the coming days too.’

Do you have a comment? Please click here  to send an email to Platform at Railnews.

 Moderated comments will be published on this site, and may also be used in the next print edition.