Ashfield train station usage remains below pre-pandemic levels

Station usage more than doubled across Great Britain in 2021-22 as people across the country returned to more normal travelling routines following the pandemic.

Office of Rail and Road figures show 283,990 passengers entered and exited train stations in Ashfield in 2021-22 – up from 107,086 the year before but below pre-pandemic levels of 574,444 in 2019-20.

Sutton Parkway was ranked 1,460th of the country’s about 2,570 stations with 111,112 passengers, while Kirkby was 1,580th with 89,714.

Newstead was ranked 2,126th, with 23,010 entries and exits.

Across the country, passenger numbers rebounded from a pandemic drop in 2020-21.

An estimated 1.8 billion visitors entered and exited train stations in Great Britain last year – more than double the 690 million visitors the year before.

But this was still well below the 3bn passengers who used stations in 2019-20, before the pandemic.

The ORR’s estimates of station usage are taken from the rail industry’s ticketing and revenue system Lennon, with some local ticketing data.

Adjustments are made to make the estimates as accurate as possible, the regulator said.

Feras Alshaker, ORR director of planning and performance, said: “It is heartening to see passengers return to travelling by rail following what was a difficult period for the industry during the pandemic.

“There’s still some way to go in order for station usage figures to return to pre-pandemic levels.

“Once again it is important to thank all those in the rail industry, who continue to work hard to help people travel safely and with confidence.”

Transport think tank, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, said it is positive to see numbers rebounding, but there is still a long way to go.

London Waterloo – the most active station for 16 straight years before the pandemic – was top with 41.4 million passengers, while Nottinghamshire’s Elton and Orston station was the least-used in the country, with just 40 recorded entries and exits.

The Department for Transport said it has provided more than £16bn of funding for passenger services since the start of the pandemic.