3rd quarter 2019 rail usage figures

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From The ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about)

Q3 passenger stats for 2019 publishes, and compared to 2018 figures

 The number of passenger journeys in Great Britain1 increased by 11.9 million (2.6%) in 2019-20 Q3 compared with 2018-19 Q3.

 The Regional sector2 had the largest growth this quarter at 5.0%. The London and South East sector (up 2.0%) and Long Distance sector (up 1.1%) also experienced growth this quarter.

 Hull Trains (up 26.2%), Caledonian Sleeper (up 18.6%), Northern (up 12.5%) and TfL^» (Transport for London - about) Rail (up 7.5%) recorded the largest percentage increases in passenger journeys this quarter. Transport for Wales Rail (down 7.7%) and South Western Railway (down 3.2%) recorded the largest percentage decreases.

 Franchised passenger journeys using season tickets fell by 5.3 million (3.3%) to record the lowest Q3 total since 2010-11. Season ticket journeys accounted for 33.7% of all franchised journeys in 2019-20 Q3, which is the lowest share for Q3 since the time series began in 1994-95.

 Passenger journeys using ordinary tickets increased by 17.2 million (5.9%) in 2019-20 Q3 compared with 2018-19 Q3. This included an 8.1 million (5.3%) increase in journeys made using off-peak tickets, which represents the largest Q3 percentage increase since 2014-15.

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s figures, from the graphs, have increase a little - around 5% - not spectacular enough to make any of the headlines.  In the text:

The Long Distance sector recorded a 1.1% growth in passenger journeys in 2019-20 Q3. For the first time since 2014-15, Great Western Railway9 recorded an increase (3.9%) in passenger journeys for Q3. This may in part reflect improved performance and reliability4. For the first time since the time-series began in 2010-11, Avanti West Coast recorded a decrease in Q3 passenger journeys (down 1.7%).

[Celestial]

I'd say a 5% increase is better than " a little" - it's a very creditable increase, especially when considered against the other long distance operators.  Most of the higher headline figures are either very small (Hull, Caledonian Sleeper), or have special circumstances (Northern was hit by strikes 12 months earlier).

I'd follow up by saying "and this is before a full quarter of the new timetable" but I expect Coronavirus will have badly impacted figures for March.