Mansfield and Ashfield's busiest station revealed in year of low train usage

Statistics from the Office of Rail and Road show an estimated 123,000 passengers used Mansfield' s two stations in 2020-21.

This was 79 per cent fewer than in 2019-20, when 588,000 travelled on trains in the area.

Mansfield was the busier of the two, with 92,200 entries and exits by passengers.

However, this was down from 396,000 the year before, and the lowest number of passengers since comparable records began in 1997.

Meanwhile, Mansfield Woodhouse saw 30,500 passengers use its station.

The statistics show an estimated 107,000 passengers used Ashfield's three stations in 2020-21, 81 per cent fewer than the 574,000 the year before.

The busiest station was Sutton Parkway, which saw 37,800 entries and exits by passengers, down from 199,000 the year before. Kirkby saw 34,600 passengers.

An estimated 46,800 passengers used Bolsover's four stations in 2020-21, down 72 per cent on the 169,000 the previous year.

The busiest station was Shirebrook, which saw 26,800 entries and exits by passengers, down from 91,500 the year before.

Newstead saw 8.570 entries and exits.

Usage

Across Great Britain, usage of railway stations fell from 3 billion in 2019-20 to 687 million – a fall of 77 per cent.

Feras Alshaker, ORR director of planning and performance said: “This year we have seen many railway stations with few passenger entries and exits.

"However, we know recent figures show leisure journeys are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, while there has been a slower increase in commuter journeys.”

Andy Bagnall, director-general at industry body the Rail Delivery Group, said: “The figures show how the rail industry kept people moving for the first year of the pandemic.

“Some of the entries on the list reflect where people like key workers were travelling from and also the acceleration of changes to how people are travelling after the pandemic.

“Rail companies are working together to welcome people back and the recent increase in passengers continues to both reflect and support the nation’s recovery.”

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