THE ANNUAL statistics of station usage, issued by the Office of Rail and Road, were revealed in mid-December, with the top 10 now all in London – and showing some interesting changes, due mainly to the opening of the Elizabeth line and how the new route has changed travelling patterns in and around the capital.
For many years, the top of the annual table has been occupied by London Waterloo as the most-used railway station in Britain. However, the table has been transformed following the opening of the Elizabeth line, with London Liverpool Street now at the top, with almost 80.4 million entries and exits between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. The Elizabeth line effect has also seen London Paddington move into second place with 59.2 million entries and exits, while Waterloo is now in third at 57.8 million.
The new Elizabeth line station at Tottenham Court Road opened in May 2022 and moved straight into the top 10, with its 34.9 million entries and exits placing it in the seventh position.
All of the top 10 stations were in and around London, with the busiest station outside of the capital being Birmingham New Street at 30.7 million. Leeds was in second place at 24 million and Manchester Piccadilly coming in at 23.6 million.
At the other end of the table were five stations that saw 100 or fewer entries and exits during the period. Teesside Airport saw just two passengers, Denton attracted 34, Elton & Orston 56, Kirton Lindsey 94, and Reddish South was in fifth position with 100. The station at Teesside Airp
