ATOC

ATOC predicts one billion passenger journeys by train during 2003 – highest for 40 years – as UK passenger growth leaves Europe behind
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date 1 December 2003
source ATOC
type Press release

The Association of Train Operating Companies predicts more than one billion journeys will be made by train by the end of 2003, the highest number of journeys in one calendar year since 1962. Passenger journeys for the year January to November currently total more than 925 million and with the traditionally busy December period approaching, the one billionth passenger is expected to travel on 30th December.

ATOC Director General, George Muir said: "We expect to reach the ‘magic billion’ figure on 30th December. People are voting with their feet and using the train more often. Railways have never been more vital to our national economic life and social fabric, especially around Christmas time when millions of journeys are made."
Over the past seven years, train operators have responded to 30% passenger growth or 240 million extra journeys by running a record number of train services, 18,805 every weekday in this winter’s timetable.

People are also travelling further by train than ever before. There were 39.8 billion passenger kilometres recorded for the past year, the highest figure since 1947 when post-war demobilisation was at its height.

The growth in UK passenger traffic stands in stark contrast to European railways, where the passenger railway is contracting. Passenger kilometres across Europe fell by 15 billion between 2000 and 2001, a two and a half per cent drop. The United Kingdom’s increases in passenger traffic more closely match those of Asian and American railways.

Mr Muir said: "While performance still needs to improve, Britain’s railways are changing for the better. We have Europe’s fastest growing railway, with the youngest rolling stock fleet, big investment programmes to modernise the infrastructure and stations, vastly improved timetable and journey planning information, and the new multi-million pound Train Protection Warning System installed on all trains. You could call it a railway renaissance."`

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For further information, please contact:
ATOC Press Office on 020 7904 3010
Notes to Editors

925,095,746 journeys took place between January and November (Source: ATOC)
Passengers travelled 39.8 billion kilometres between July 2002-June 2003( Source: SRA National Rail Trends.)
In 2000, 620,894 billion passenger kilometres were travelled across Europe; in 2001, 605,209 billion passenger kilometres were travelled across Europe. (Source: International Union of Railways Annual Report 2002)
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is the official voice for the passenger rail industry – representing train companies to the government and other opinion formers on transport policy issues. Britain’s train operators are working together to change rail travel for the better.

ATOC manages many joint activities for train operators including revenue allocation and settlement, impartial retailing, the National Rail Enquiry Service (NRES), railcard marketing, staff travel arrangements, international products and travel agent licensing

Railhub Archive ::: 2003-12-01 ATO-001