Surge in popularity of small rural rail lines as people opt for home-grown attractions

Many small rural rail lines are enjoying a surge in popularity, new figures show.

Figures published by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) show that many branch lines – smaller lines that branch off a mainline into rural towns and villages – have seen significant increases in passenger numbers, with some seeing rises of up 55% in 12 months alone.

For a number of them, the rises are even higher over the last two years, indicating that people are now regularly using branch lines – many of which were closed after the 1960s Beeching report – to get around:

- Par to Newquay rose by 54.8% from 2008/09 to 2009/10, and 56.1% from 2007/08 to 2009/10
- Derby to Matlock rose by 42% and 72.1%
- Truro to Falmouth rose by 37.8% and 56.1%

Overall, there were over 2.7million journeys on the 10 fastest growing lines in 2009/10, a rise of nearly 600,000 – or 27.8% – since 2007/08.

Many of the fastest-growing branch lines connect to seaside resorts and towns, and show spikes during the summer months. But numbers have been increasing throughout the last few years, pointing to an underlying trend of rising passenger numbers on the rural railways.

Train companies attribute the rises to the growing popularity of home-grown attractions, and concerted efforts to attract local people and visitors back to the railways. Some of the lines have seen growth after operators put on more services to meet demand from commuters and holidaymakers alike.

Community Rail Partnerships (CRPs), which comprise operators, the voluntary sector and local authorities in an area, have also had considerable success in promoting smaller community lines, providing better rail services and helping rural regeneration.

Alex Veitch, Integrated Transport Manager at ATOC, said: “Train companies have seen a significant increase in passengers on many of these small, community lines over the course of the last few years.

“Traditional seaside towns such as Newquay, Blackpool and St Ives may well have benefitted from the staycation effect, as Britons feeling the effects of the recession holiday at home instead of abroad – but our figures show a longer-term trend.

“The speed, reliability and value of rail travel mean that increasing numbers of people are choosing to take the train to get to work, out and about, or to visit Britain’s many attractions at the weekend.

“Having a rail link that brings hundreds of thousands of people a year into these towns can make a huge difference to the local economy and is a clear example of how rail benefits local businesses and people.”

Neil Buxton, General Manager of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP), said: “The steady rise in figures shows that people are looking closer to home for their holidays.

“But the numbers have been rising steadily all year, indicating that this is not just a holiday trend. The Community Rail Partnerships have had clear success in encouraging tourists and people in the community to use their local rail line all year round.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The 10 branch lines with the most growth over the last two years are detailed in the below table. Growth is measured by the LENNON database (the rail industry’s central ticketing system) on the number of journeys ending on the branch lines, plus the sale of carnet tickets on some lines, where available. Only certain operators sell carnet tickets.

Route, Apr 2007 - Apr 2008,  Apr 2008 - Apr 2009, Apr 2009 - Apr 2010 %age rise 2008/09 -2009/10,  %age rise 2007/08 -2009/10

1. Par - Newquay 45,976 46,390 71,822 54.8% 56.2%
2. Derby - Matlock 92,115 111,438 158,553 42% 72.1%
3. Truro - Falmouth 264,879 300,085 413,544 37.8% 56.1%
4. Bristol Temple Meads - Severn Beach 251,269 308,952 361,287 16.9% 43.7%
5. St Erth - St Ives 446,647 433,740 501,002 15.5% 12.1%
6. Preston - Blackpool South 209,378 218,972 249,368 13.8% 19%
7. Liskeard – Looe 77,102 75,090 84,935 13.1% 10.1%
8. Exeter - Barnstaple 313,899 353,353 394,401 11.6% 25.6%
9. Oxenholme – Windermere 299,337 308,770 339,373 9.9% 13.3%
10. Plymouth – Gunnislake 139,019 147,287 160,738 9.1% 15.6%
TOTAL 2,139,621 2,304,077 2,735,023 18.7% 27.8%

2. ATOC collates data for 27 branch lines or services, those which have been designated by the government as Community Rail schemes. Operators and Network Rail actively engage with and involve the local community on these routes, with an aim to increase passenger numbers and improve services. See http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/strategyfinance/strategy/community/ for more information.

3. There are other branch lines across the country. For more information on branch lines and Community Rail Partnerships, visit www.acorp.uk.com

4. The Beeching report of 1963 led to the decommissioning of more than 3,600 miles of the railway network, and the closure of around 3,000 stations, many of which were on branch lines.