Rail statistics cover the national railway system in Great Britain, which covers England, Scotland and Wales. It includes information on a wide variety of topics, including passenger and freight usage, punctuality, age of rolling stock, fares, investment and health and safety.
Publications
This is the average age of rolling stock. Data is available by sector and train company. All rail vehicles leased from rolling stock leasing companies (ROSCOs) by train operators that have a franchise agreement with the Department for Transport are included in the calculations of average age.
The rail fares price index provides a measure of the change in the prices charged by train operating companies to rail passengers.
Freight lifted is the mass of goods carried on the network, measures in tonnes. It excludes the weight of the locomotives and wagons. Unlike freight moved, it takes no account of the distance travelled.
Statistics on the number of freight trains on the rail network, the impact of rail freight trains on road halage and rail market share as a proportion of freight carried on different modes of transport.
The amount of freight moved on the railway network in Great Britain. Freight moved is measured in net tonne kilometres and takes into account the net weight (excluding the weight of the locomotive and wagon) of the goods carried and the distance carried.
The number of freight trains arriving at their final destination 'on time'. On time is defined as within ten minutes.
Government support to the rail industry
Provides annual statistics on all Light Rail Systems in Great Britain. Topics covered include patronage, route length and passenger revenue.
The National Passenger Survey (NPS) is a national survey of rail passengers views of their rail journey. The survey covers passenger satisfaction with a range of station, train and other factors.
The National Rail Enquiry Service (NRES) provides information, primarily on train times and fares. It covers enquiries made through the telephone service, as well as self-service channels such as through Apps and website visits.
Report on a survey of passenger trips on the national rail system in Great Britain on weekdays, outside school holidays.
Key statistics on the performance of Network Rail.
The publication contains data relating to vehicle registrations, public transport, petroleum deliveries to NI and driver and vehicle testing.
Train operators provide data on passenger numbers to the Department for Transport (DfT) to allow for the monitoring of train crowding levels. In the past DfT monitored crowding for London commuter services under a regime known as ‘passengers in excess of capacity’ (PiXC) and this has formed the basis of the crowding statistics published in National rail trends.
Annual statistics on peak rail passenger demand and crowding statistics.
Investment made by private companies into the rail industry
Report summarising people's experiences of rail travel and their attitudes towards it
Public performance measure (PPM) measures the number of trains reaching their final destination 'on time'. On time is defined as within five minutes for regional and London and South East trains, and within ten minutes for long distance trains.
A independent, comprehensive and accurate picture of the rail industry in Great Britain.
This Statistical Bulletin presents data on number of people using rail stations in Wales.
Complaints rail passengers make about their train journey
Detail on the length of route open for rail traffic that is managed by Network Rail
Shows passenger rail usage within Great Britain. This shows the number of journeys undertaken, the KM travelled and revenue made by train operators.
A summary of safety on the rail network
A signal passed at danger (SPAD) occurs when a train passes a stop signal without authority to do so. SPADs are assigned a numerical ranking between 0 and 28 based on the severity of the incident. Those SPADs ranked at over 20 are those with the highest potential for serious consequences, while those between 16 and 19 are considered to have less serious potential. Those ranked from 1 to 15 carry little or no risk.
Report to investigate the awareness of and use made of multi-journey tickets on bus and train journeys.
Timetabled train kilometres (TTKM) show the number of kilometres each train operating company will achieve according to the winter and summer train timetable if they are operating at full capacity.
Statistics on train operating companies.
The publication contains data on trends in personal travel, how people travel, why people travel and other factors affecting travel.
Overview
Rail statistics consist of data on a broad range of topics including rail usage, performance, fare increases and safety incidences. A large proportion of data are published in the National Rail Trends publication.
Topic areas include:
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passenger kilometres, journeys and revenue and timetabled kilometres
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public performances measures, rail complaints and analysis of the national rail enquiry service
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freight moved and lifted by categories of goods carried
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fares index
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the infrastructure, government support and investment
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journey patterns between English regions, Scotland and Wales
- rail safety data
The data are collected by:
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Network Rail
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Department for Transport (DfT)
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Train Operating Companies (TOCs)
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LENNON, which is the rail industries central ticketing system, and
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Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Data from the above sources are collated and analysed by the Office of Rail Regulation.
Other areas under rail statistics include:
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National passenger survey (run by passenger focus)
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National Rail Travel Survey (undertaken by DfT)
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The Signals passed at danger by trains report
Technical Data
National Rail Trends
This is the main official rail publication containing data on:
Rail usage
Passenger kilometres and journeys record the number of kilometres or journeys made on franchised trains in Great Britain. The rail industry’s central ticketing system, LENNON, is the basis for passenger kilometres and journeys data. LENNON, however, does not correctly record sales of certain products. The journeys and kilometres from these tickets are added in at the end of each quarter when a reconciliation exercise with the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) takes place.
Public Performance Measure (PPM)
Network Rail collects the data on PPM, which combines figures for punctuality and reliability into a single performance measure. It covers all scheduled services, seven days a week, all year round, and measures the performance of individual trains against their planned timetable.
Complaints
A complaint is defined as any expression of dissatisfaction by a customer or potential customer about service delivery or about company or industry policy. This is a superior measure to a ratio against passenger kilometres as, no matter how long the trip, a dissatisfied customer will only complain once.
Freight
Freight moved is measured in net tonne kilometres. It takes into account the net weight of the goods carried (the amount of freight lifted) and the distance carried. Freight lifted is the mass of goods carried on the network and does not include the weight of the locomotives and wagons.
Fares
The Rail Fares Price Index provides a measure of the change in the prices charged by Train Operating Companies (TOCs) to rail passengers. This Index presents the average change in prices taken from the millions of transactions that take place each year.
Regional usage
Data are sourced from the Origin Destination Matrix; an annual compendium of LENNON, the railway’s ticketing system. This section is designed to provide an insight into passenger flows in each of the different Government Office Regions or countries within Great Britain
Rail safety
This chapter was formerly published as the Railway safety statistical report (RSSR). It provides information on the numbers of safety incidents in Great Britain reported to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) under the Reporting of Injuries, Deaths and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).
The report covers:
• safety incidents involving passengers
• staff and members of the public
• incidents at level crossings
• numbers of trespassers and cases of vandalism
• trains incidents, and
• numbers of rolling stock and infrastructure failures
Signals passed at danger quarterly report
The Office for Rail Regulation (ORR) produces information on the numbers of signals passed at danger by trains that occur on the mainline railway over a three month period. This report is called the Signals Passed at Danger (SPADS) and is produced on a quarterly basis. The report uses the risk-ranking model devised by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB).
National Rail Travel Survey (NRTS)
This is a survey of passenger trips on the national rail system in Great Britain to provide information on who uses the rail network, where, when and for what purposes.
The NRTS aimed to produce a comprehensive picture of weekday rail travel across the whole of Great Britain. Responsibility for the survey transferred to the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2005, as part of the Future of Rail White Paper reorganisations.
The survey covered the following topics:
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Rail stations used
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Time of travel
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Access and egress modes
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Origin and destination addresses
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Trip purposes
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Ticketing information and demographic information.
Postcodes and National Grid References for all stations and all origins and destinations were subsequently appended to the data. As were the trip length on the rail network and the estimated trip duration and arrival time.
Glossary
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Department for Transport (DfT)
The Department for Transport is responsible for transport issues (except when devolved), in particular railway franchising and a range of executive agencies.
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Latest Earnings Networked Nationally Over Night (LENNON)
LENNON holds information on all national rail tickets purchased in Great Britain and is used to allocate the revenue from ticket sales between Train Operating Companies (TOCs).
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London Area Travel Survey (LATS)
London Area Travel Survey was commissioned to build up a picture of all travel in the London area on a ‘typical’ travel weekday outside school and public holidays.
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National Rail Travel Survey (NRTS)
National Rail Travel Survey is a survey of passenger trips on the national rail system in Great Britain to provide information on who uses the rail network, where, when and for what purposes.
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National Rail Trends (NRT)
National Rail Trends is the main official rail publication containing data on passenger usage and rail performance produced by ORR.
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Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)
The Office of Rail Regulation is the independent safety and economic regulator for the railway industry.
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Passenger Transport Authority (PTA)
The Passenger Transport Authority is responsible for setting out a local authority's transport policy and public transport expenditure plans, which are implemented by the Passenger Transport Executives. There are seven main metropolitan areas outside London funded by local district councils. They are West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Tyne & Wear, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Strathclyde.
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Passenger Transport Executive (PTE)
In the UK, PTEs are local government bodies which are responsible for public transport within large urban areas. There are six PTEs in England, one for each of the metropolitan counties: Greater Manchester; Merseyside; South Yorkshire; Tyne and Wear; West Midlands; and West Yorkshire.
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Rolling stock
Is the collective term that describes all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons.
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Rolling Stock Operating Company (ROSCO)
A Rolling Stock Operating Company owns and maintains railway engines and carriages which are leased to Train Operating Companies (TOC) who actually operate the trains.
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Strategic Rail Authority (SRA)
The Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the UK set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for railway industry.
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Train Operating Companies (TOC)
Train Operating Companies run the (passenger and freight) trains and services on the network.
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Transport for London (TfL)
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London.
Contact Details
For statistical enquiries about this topic, please contact:
Office for Rail Regulation
Email: Rail.Stats@orr.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7282 3978
One Kemble Street London WC2B 4AN
