Train Station Usage - The Herefordshire Partnership

Train Station Usage

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has published railway station usage statistics based on tickets sales for each station for the period 2004-05 to 2007-08. The data gives the total numbers of entries (journeys starting at the station) and exits (all journeys terminating at the station). These are also sub-categorised by ticket type i.e. reduced tickets, standard tickets and season tickets. It should be noted that for season tickets the number of entries and exits are equal. Stations within Herefordshire are Hereford, Leominster, Colwall and Ledbury.

Table 1. Numbers of all entries and exits and percentage change

Source: Office of Rail Regulation

The total number of entries and exits from a station is used as a measure of overall use of a station by passengers (table 1). For all stations in Herefordshire, the total number of entries and exits increased by 28% between 2004-05 and 2007-08. This was slightly lower than the increase seen across all stations in the UK (32%), but greater than for stations in the West Midlands (22%). The smaller increase in the West Midlands is likely to be a result of the small increase in use at Birmingham New Street station (5%), which accounts for a large proportion of West Midlands usage.

Out of the stations in Herefordshire, it was Leominster that saw the greatest increase in usage over the period (53%), followed by Colwall (39%). Hereford and Ledbury increased by 23% and 25% respectively. Unsurprisingly it is Hereford that has the greatest overall usage, a total of 899,199 entries and exits in 2007-08. Leominster had the second greatest usage 218,504 (chart 2).

Chart 2. Proportion of all entries and exit by station

Source: Office of Rail Regulation

Looking at which ticket type are purchased for stations in Herefordshire, reduced tickets accounted for the greatest proportion (57%). This was greater than the proportion for all UK stations (39%) but less than for stations in the West Midlands (61%). Season tickets accounted for the second greatest proportion in Herefordshire (27%), followed by standard tickets (22%).

Out of the stations in Herefordshire, Hereford station has the greatest use of reduced tickets (57%), followed by Leominster (49%) and Ledbury (48%) (chart 3). Colwall has the greatest use of standard tickets (33%) followed by Ledbury (28%). Colwall also has the greatest proportion of season ticket users (36%).

Chart 3. Percentage of entries and exits by ticket type and station

Source: Office of Rail Regulation station usage statistics

Looking at the difference between the number of entries and exits, it is only Hereford that has a greater number of entries than exits; all other stations have a greater number of exits.