Introduction to National Rail Trends

The tables and charts included in National Rail Trends enable readers to compare quarterly data year on year. View current National Rail Trends data.

The summary paragraphs below describe the type of information included.

Rail usage

The rail usage section includes tables and charts on the distance travelled by passengers, and the number of journeys they made. It details the revenue raised from passengers including all ticket revenue and miscellaneous charges associated with passenger travel on national railways, for example station car parking charges. It also has charts and tables that give comparisons for timetabled distances.

Rail performance

The PPM combines figures for punctuality and reliability into a single performance measure. The tables in this section show the performance of individual trains against their 7-day planned timetable. Information is available by region and by train operator. There are tables on complaints and National Rail Enquiries and annual data on crowding levels for peak arrivals and departures.

Freight

This section contains data for freight moved, which takes into account the net weight of the goods and the distance carried. Other tables compare Freight lifted, which refers to the mass of goods carried on the network. This excludes the weight of locomotives and wagons and takes no account of the distance travelled. In addition, Freight market indicators with tables comparing the distance road vehicles would have to be driven to carry an equivalent amount of freight are produced annually.

Fares - Rail fares index (annually only)

The rail fares index gives an indication of the current cost of tickets compared with those bought the previous year for the same journey. The index covers the cost of travel only in England, Scotland and Wales. Rail tickets that include additional services such as bus tickets, entrance fees etc., are excluded. An exception to this is the London Travelcard.

Regional usage profiles (annually only)

This section provides an insight into passenger flows in each of the different Regions within Great Britain. It also aims to highlight the variation in travel patterns across the country and how these have developed since privatisation.

Rail safety (annually only)

Formerly published as the Railway safety statistical report (RSSR) the majority of tables are now included in NRT and cover:

• Incidents involving passengers, staff and members of the public;
• Level crossings;
• Trespassers and vandalism;
• Rolling stock, infrastructure failures and train incidents; and
• Signals passed at danger (SPADs).

Environmental indicators (annually only)

This indicator gives traction energy consumption and related CO2 emissions in respect of franchised and non franchised passenger TOCs, freight operators and Eurostar.

Last updated: 6 June 2012