Rail revenues and passenger numbers HALF of pre-Covid levels

Rail revenues and passenger numbers are HALF of pre-Covid levels as switch to WFH dries up income from expensive season tickets, figures reveal

  • Rail revenues and passenger numbers are at just over half of pre-Covid levels 
  • Industry generated just £5.9billion in ticket sales in the year to the end of March 
  • The rail industry relied on passengers buying expensive annual season tickets 

Rail revenues and passenger numbers are at just over half of pre-Covid levels, figures show.

The industry generated just £5.9billion in ticket sales in the year to the end of March – 54 per cent of the £11billion raised two years ago. 

That was nearly three times more than the £2.0 billion recorded during the previous year, which included coronavirus lockdowns. 

Rail revenues and passenger numbers are at just over half of pre-Covid levels, figures show (file image)

Passenger numbers were 57 per cent of pre-pandemic levels with 990 million journeys compared with 1.74 billion in 2019/20.

Much of the rail industry’s income had come from passengers buying pricey annual season tickets but working from home cut income from long-term tickets by more than 75 per cent to £526million.

Before the virus crisis, the rail industry relied on passengers buying expensive annual season tickets for much of its revenue. 

That was 24% of the £2.2 billion generated in 2019/20. 

The Office of Rail and Road data published yesterday shows a marked improvement on the previous year but underlines the challenges facing rail firms.

Source: Read Full Article