Commenting on ORR passenger usage stats, Hannah Moxon, Director of External Affairs, said:
'There has been a welcome boost in passenger numbers in the last few months, but rail usage and revenue still fall short of pre-pandemic levels.
‘Attracting more people to travel by train is key to regrowing revenue and restoring the railway to financial sustainability. Private sector operators have a track record of delivering growth in passenger numbers to reduce subsidy, so it is counter intuitive to start removing them from the system without the government first setting out how, through Great British Railways, they will reform the railways to improve the passenger experience and reduce the burden on the taxpayer.’
- ORR’s latest passenger rail usage data was published on 19 December: Passenger rail performance – July to September 2024
- Rail Partners’ publication ‘Track to Growth: Creating a dynamic railway for passengers and the economy’ shows how the private sector helped to drive a 107% increase in passenger numbers and a 32% increase in services pre-pandemic.
Rail Partners exists to make the railway better by harnessing the expertise and creativity of private sector operators for the benefit of those who use the railway, passengers and freight customers, and those who pay for it, including taxpayers.
Rail Partners provides advocacy and policy solutions for its private sector passenger owning group and freight company members. Rail Partners additionally provides technical services to train operating companies in both the public and private sectors.
