Rail Station Usage in Wales, 2017-18 SB 4/2019
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13 Feb 2019 Rail Station Usage in Wales, 2017-18 SB 4/2019 About this bulletin Key results This bulletin reports on The number of station entries and exits in Wales has the usage of rail stations risen every year since 2004-05, and by 60 per cent over that period. in Wales. Information There was a 1.7 per cent increase in the number of station covers stations in Wales entries/exits in Wales in 2017-18 compared with the previous year from 2004-05 to 2017-18 (Table 1). and the UK from 2013-14 to 2017-18. The bulletin In 2017-18 there were 222 rail stations in Wales. The number of stations is based on the annual in Wales has remained the same since 2015-16 station usage report Cardiff Central remains the busiest station in Wales with 25 per cent of published by the Office of all station entries/exits (Table 1). Rail and Road (ORR). Rail station usage in Wales accounts for around 1.8 per cent of the UK This report includes a total (Chart 2). spreadsheet which gives estimated station entries Most South Wales, Valley and Mid Wales lines saw increases in usage and station exits based this year, but there were falls amongst the West Wales and North Wales on ticket sales for each lines. station on the UK rail Of the 20 busiest stations in Wales, more than half are part of the network. Valley Lines network (not including Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street) and two are in North Wales at Rhyl and Bangor (Table 1). Chart 1: Station entries/exits in Wales, 2004-05 to 2017-18 60 50 In this bulletin 40 Busiest station in Wales 2 30 Trends in Wales and the 20 UK 3 10 Valley lines 5 0 Station entries/exits (millions) entries/exits Station South Wales lines 14 West Wales lines 17 Source: Welsh Government (WG) analysis of ORR estimates of station usage Mid Wales lines 19 North Wales lines 23 Statistician: James Khonje ~ 0300 025 0210 ~ [email protected] Enquiries from the press: 0300 025 8099 Public enquiries : 0300 025 5050 Twitter: @statisticswales Quality note Please note the figures in this bulletin are based on ticket sales and for some stations may not be an accurate reflection of usage. For example, some tickets are sold to the end of the line or as far as a fare price will allow, and not to the actual journey destination. Consequently, some stations marking the end of lines or fare prices appear busier than they are and other stations along those lines appear less busy than they are. Busiest stations in Wales In 2017-18 the total number of entries and exits at Welsh stations increased by 1.7 per cent on the previous year. 25 per cent of all entries and exits in Wales (12.95 million) occurred at Cardiff Central station. Table 1: 20 busiest stations in Wales by station entries/exits, 2016-17 to 2017-18 number and percentage Rail Station 2016-17 Entries & Exits 2017-18 Entries & Exits Percentage change (a) Cardiff Central 12,534,884 12,951,746 ↑ 3.3 Cardiff Queen Street 2,850,984 2,912,364 ↑ 2.2 Newport (Gwent) 2,614,150 2,696,620 ↑ 3.2 Swansea 2,130,154 2,158,886 ↑ 1.3 Bridgend 1,524,162 1,526,622 ↑ 0.2 Cardiff Bay 1,242,214 1,302,676 ↑ 4.9 Cathays 954,372 946,274 ↓ 0.8 Pontypridd 801,850 864,294 ↑ 7.8 Neath 818,584 816,748 ↓ 0.2 Caerphilly 757,094 771,930 ↑ 2.0 Barry Island 711,812 753,404 ↑ 5.8 Trefforest 809,930 752,308 ↓ 7.1 Bangor (Gwynedd) 657,050 662,060 ↑ 0.8 Penarth 633,412 626,950 ↓ 1.0 Aberdare 569,364 571,746 ↑ 0.4 Radyr 501,696 538,692 ↑ 7.4 Barry 532,602 533,732 ↑ 0.2 Rhyl 534,460 520,198 ↓ 2.7 Port Talbot Parkway 504,524 516,610 ↑ 2.4 Merthyr Tydfil 550,216 512,754 ↓ 6.8 Other Welsh stations 19,435,316 19,585,590 ↑ 0.8 All Welsh stations 51,668,830 52,522,204 ↑ 1.7 Source: WG analysis of ORR estimates of station usage Notes: (a) Percentage change = change in 2017-18 when compared to 2016-17 Of the 20 busiest Welsh rail stations in 2017-18: Cardiff Central was the busiest station and almost 5 times busier than the next busiest station, Cardiff Queen Street. The number of entries and exits at Cardiff Central rose by 3.3 per cent when compared to 2016-17 More than half had increases, and six stations saw decreases 2 Pontypridd had the largest percentage increase (up 7.8 per cent) compared with the previous year Trefforest had the largest percentage decrease, down 7.1 per cent. Trends in Wales and the UK Rail station usage in Wales accounted for 1.8 per cent of the UK total in 2017-18. This proportion has been stable in recent years and shows that rail travel is less prevalent in Wales than across the UK in general, with Wales accounting for 4.7 per cent of the UK population (Chart 2) Chart 2: Station entries/exits in Wales, comparison with the UK, 2013-14 to 2017-18 3,200 Wales Rest of UK (a) 2,800 2,400 2,000 1,600 (millions) 1,200 800 Station entries/exits entries/exits Station 400 0 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 Source: WG analysis of ORR estimates of station usage Notes: (a) Rest of the UK = total number minus Wales numbers The number of rail stations changes very little from year to year. Since 2013-14 the number of stations in Wales increased by 3 to 222 and in the UK it increased by 28 to 2,563. 3 Map 1: Rail station in Wales 2017-18 4 Valley lines The Valley Lines is a network of suburban rail lines connecting the major communities in South East Wales with Cardiff via Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street and Cathays Stations. The lines provide an important role carrying commuter traffic to and from Cardiff. The lines also link up several universities and carry a significant number of people travelling for shopping and leisure purposes. The figures shown are for entries and exits at all stations along these lines – the figures at ‘interchange’ stations (e.g. Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street) are for users of all lines, not just the lines presented in this section. Butetown line The Butetown line consists of just two stations at either end of the short link between Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay. In 2017-18 there was a 4.9 per cent rise in entries and exits at Butetown, to 1.3 million. Table 2: Butetown Line station usage, 2016-17 to 2017-18 Number and percent Station 2016-17 Entries & Exits 2017-18 Entries & Exits Percentage change (a) Cardiff Queen Street 2,850,984 2,912,364 ↑ 2.2 Cardiff Bay 1,242,214 1,302,676 ↑ 4.9 Source: WG analysis of ORR Estimates of Station Usage Notes: (a) Percentage change = change in 2017-18 when compared to 2016-17 5 City line The City Line runs from Radyr to Coryton linking a number of suburban stations with Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street. In 2017-18: there was a rise in entries and exits at all stations along the line apart from Birchgrove and Coryton Fairwater had the largest percentage increase in entries/exits at 15.6 per cent when compared with 2016-17. excluding Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street, there was an increase in station entries/exits of 3.3 per cent on this line compared with 2016-17. Table 3: City Line station usage, 2016-17 to 2017-18 Number and percent Station 2016-17 Entries & Exits 2017-18 Entries & Exits Percentage change (a) Cardiff Central 12,534,884 12,951,746 ↑ 3.3 Cardiff Queen Street 2,850,984 2,912,364 ↑ 2.2 Radyr 501,696 538,692 ↑ 7.4 Danescourt 107,740 108,278 ↑ 0.5 Fairwater 77,216 89,250 ↑ 15.6 Waun-Gron Park 88,652 96,760 ↑ 9.1 Ninian Park 125,622 126,512 ↑ 0.7 Heath Low Level 61,536 68,490 ↑ 11.3 Ty Glas 204,158 207,020 ↑ 1.4 Birchgrove 56,326 54,570 ↓ 3.1 Rhiwbina 90,192 102,770 ↑ 13.9 Whitchurch (South Glamorgan) 23,102 25,406 ↑ 10.0 Coryton 224,794 194,556 ↓ 13.5 Total (b) 1,561,034 1,612,304 ↑ 3.3 All Stations Total 16,946,902 17,476,414 ↑ 3.1 Source: WG analysis of ORR Estimates of Station Usage Notes: (a) Percentage change = change in 2017-18 when compared to 2016-17 (b) Total without Cardiff Central & Cardiff Queen Street (c) Numbers are estimates and are subject to error. Volatility in the estimates is more common when numbers are low. 6 Vale of Glamorgan line The Vale of Glamorgan lines link Cardiff to Penarth, Barry and Bridgend. In 2017-18: half of the stations along the line saw a rise in station entries/exits, with the other half seeing falls Dingle Road had the largest increase in entries/exits at 28.6 per cent and Grangetown saw the largest decrease at 4.6 per cent excluding Cardiff Central and Bridgend, there was an increase in station entries/exits of 1.4 per cent on this line compared with 2017-18. Table 4: Vale of Glamorgan Line station usage, 2016-17 to 2017-18 Number and percent Station 2016-17 Entries & Exits 2017-18 Entries & Exits Percentage change (a) Cardiff Central 12,534,884 12,951,746 ↑ 3.3 Grangetown (South Glamorgan) 206,760 197,244 ↓ 4.6 Dingle Road 108,090 139,000 ↑ 28.6 Penarth 633,412 626,950 ↓ 1.0 Cogan 317,012 310,002 ↓ 2.2 Eastbrook 174,262 167,798 ↓ 3.7 Dinas Powys 97,050 93,374 ↓ 3.8 Cadoxton 287,136 282,098 ↓ 1.8 Barry Docks 224,246 245,760 ↑ 9.6 Barry 532,602 533,732 ↑ 0.2 Barry Island 711,812 753,404 ↑ 5.8 Rhoose (Cardiff Int Airpt) 181,272 178,334 ↓ 1.6 Llantwit Major 297,958 298,418 ↑ 0.2 Bridgend 1,524,162 1,526,622 ↑ 0.2 Total (b) 3,771,612 3,826,114 ↑ 1.4 All Stations Total 17,830,658 18,304,482 ↑ 2.7 Source: WG analysis of ORR Estimates of Station Usage Notes: (a) Percentage change = change in 2017-18 when compared to 2016-17 (b) Total without Cardiff Central and Bridgend (c) Numbers are estimates and are subject to error.