List of busiest railway stations in Great Britain
This is a list of the busiest railway stations in Great Britain on the National Rail network. The figures are collected by the Office of Rail and Road, and are estimates based on ticket usage data use of an Origin Destination Matrix, a comprehensive matrix of rail flows between stations throughout Great Britain in the financial year of 2020–21.[1] The data count entries and exits at any station. Note that the data covers mainland Great Britain and surrounding small islands (such as the Isle of Wight), not the United Kingdom, and so exclude tickets within Northern Ireland and Eurostar. There are various further limits to the data due to the variety of ticketing options available on rail services within the UK; these are outlined in full in the report on the data.[2]
Only tickets sold for National Rail services are included; some stations may also be served by underground metro or urban light rail networks. Stations serving solely the London Underground, light rail, special tours or heritage railways are therefore excluded. Only stations with annual ridership above 2 million passengers are shown.
Rank | Railway Station | Annual entries/exits
(millions) 2020-21 |
Annual interchanges
(millions) 2020-21 |
Location | Main Services | Number of platforms | Interchange systems | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Stratford | 13.985 | 1.746 | London | Great Eastern Main Line Lea Valley Lines |
9 (4 and 7 disused, 3A, 4A, 4B, and 10A exist) | London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, TfL Rail | |
2 | London Victoria | 13.791 | 1.385 | London | Brighton Main Line Chatham Main Line |
19 | London Underground | |
3 | London Bridge | 13.764 | 2.361 | London | South Eastern Main Line Brighton Main Line Thameslink |
15 | London Underground | |
4 | London Waterloo | 12.215 | 1.375 | London | South West Main Line West of England Main Line |
24 (Platforms 25 and 26 are part of the Underground) | London Underground | |
5 | London Liverpool Street | 11.212 | 1.131 | London | Great Eastern Main Line West Anglia Main Line |
18 | London Underground, London Overground, TfL Rail | |
6 | Highbury and Islington | 8.661 | 1.116 | London | North London Line East London Line Northern City Line |
8 | London Underground, London Overground | |
7 | Clapham Junction | 8.371 | 6.824 | London | South West Main Line West of England Main Line Brighton Main Line |
17 | London Overground | |
8 | Birmingham New Street | 7.351 | 1.024 | Birmingham | West Coast Main Line Cross Country Route |
13 | West Midlands Metro | |
9 | Barking | 6.743 | 0.263 | London | London, Tilbury and Southend line | 9 | London Underground | |
10 | East Croydon | 6.695 | 0.972 | London | Brighton Main Line | 6 | Croydon Tramlink | |
11 | London Euston | 6.607 | 0.843 | London | West Coast Main Line | 18 | London Underground, London Overground | |
12 | London Paddington | 6.392 | 0.626 | London | Great Western Main Line South Wales Main Line Reading to Plymouth Line |
13 (Platforms 15 and 16 are part of the Underground, platform 13 closed) | London Underground, TfL Rail | |
13 | London St Pancras International | 6.363 | 0.926 | London | Midland Main Line Thameslink Eurostar South Eastern High Speed |
15 | London Underground | |
14 | Leeds | 5.854 | 0.545 | Leeds | East Coast Main Line Midland Main Line Cross Country Route |
18 | ||
15 | Canada Water | 5.576 | 0.000 | London | East London Line | 4 | London Underground | |
16 | London Charing Cross | 5.373 | 0.092 | London | South Eastern Main Line | 6 | London Underground | |
17 | Glasgow Central | 5.325 | 0.761 | Glasgow | West Coast Main Line | 17 | Glasgow Subway (close by) | |
18 | Manchester Piccadilly | 5.188 | 0.374 | Manchester | West Coast Main Line | 14 | Manchester Metrolink | |
19 | Vauxhall | 4.987 | 0.000 | London | South West Main Line | 8 | London Underground | |
20 | London King's Cross | 4.668 | 0.430 | London | East Coast Main Line | 11 (Starts at 0) | London Underground | |
21 | Wimbledon | 4.433 | 0.303 | London | South West Main Line | 10 (10a and 10b are Croydon Tramlink) | London Underground, Croydon Tramlink | |
22 | Brighton | 4.149 | 0.367 | Brighton | Brighton Main Line West Coastway Line |
8 | East Coastway Line | |
23 | Whitechapel | 4.142 | 0.000 | London | London Overground | 4 | London Underground | |
24 | West Ham | 4.012 | 0.003 | London | London, Tilbury and Southend line | 8 | London Underground | |
25 | Liverpool Central | 3.606 | 0.172 | Liverpool | Merseyrail services (Wirral and Northern lines) | 3 | ||
26 | Liverpool Lime Street | 3.511 | 0.418 | Liverpool | West Coast Main Line Liverpool to Manchester Lines |
10 | Merseyrail Wirral line | |
27 | London Fenchurch Street | 3.200 | 0.396 | London | London, Tilbury & Southend Line | 4 | ||
28 | Romford | 3.133 | 0.223 | London | Great Eastern Main Line
Romford to Upminster Line |
5 | London Overground | |
29 | Reading | 2.963 | 0.680 | Reading | Great Western Main Line | 15 | TfL Rail | |
30 | Edinburgh Waverley | 2.958 | 0.203 | Edinburgh | East Coast Main Line West Coast Main Line |
20 | Edinburgh Trams | |
31 | Willesden Junction | 2.796 | 0.855 | London | North London Line
West London Line Watford DC Line |
5 | London Underground, London Overground | |
32 | Richmond | 2.699 | 0.329 | London | London Overground | 7 | London Underground | |
33 | London Cannon Street | 2.684 | 0.129 | London | South Eastern Main Line | 7 | London Underground | |
34 | Tottenham Hale | 2.652 | 0.178 | London | West Anglia Main Line | 3 | London Underground | |
35 | Farringdon | 2.643 | 0.118 | London | Thameslink | 2 | London Underground | |
36 | Lewisham | 2.555 | 0.564 | London | Mid-Kent Line | 6 | Docklands Light Railway | |
37 | Ilford | 2.536 | 0.010 | London | Shenfield Metro | 4 operational; 1 disused | ||
38 | Seven Sisters | 2.359 | 0.005 | London | Lea Valley Lines | 5 | London Underground, London Overground | |
39 | Denmark Hill | 2.343 | 0.182 | London | Thameslink
Greenwich Park branch Line South London Line |
4 | London Overground | |
40 | Cambridge | 2.301 | 0.123 | Cambridge | West Anglia Main Line | 8 | ||
41 | Glasgow Queen Street | 2.299 | 0.267 | Glasgow | Glasgow to Edinburgh | 9 | Glasgow Subway (close by) | |
42 | Shepherd's Bush | 2.272 | 0.004 | London | West London Line | 2 | London Underground, London Overground | |
43 | Old Street | 2.231 | 0.000 | London | Northern City Line | 4 | London Underground | |
44 | Waterloo East | 2.194 | 0.255 | London | South Eastern Main Line North Kent Line |
4 | London Underground (close by) | |
45 | Dalston Kingsland | 2.130 | 0.000 | London | North London Line | 2 | ||
46 | Blackfriars | 2.100 | 0.581 | London | Thameslink | 4 | London Underground | |
47 | Ealing Broadway | 2.066 | 0.007 | London | Great Western Main Line | 9 | London Underground | |
48 | Balham | 2.044 | 0.129 | London | Brighton Main Line | 4 | London Underground | |
49 | London Marylebone | 2.035 | 0.111 | London | Chiltern Main Line | 6 | London Underground | |
50 | Bristol Temple Meads | 2.033 | 0.277 | Bristol | South Wales Main Line Cross Country Route Wessex Main Line |
13 | ||
51 | Peckham Rye | 2.029 | 0.725 | London | Catford Loop Line
South London Line |
4 | London Overground | |
52 | Bromley South | 2.025 | 0.246 | London | Chatham Main Line | 4 | ||
53 | Finsbury Park | 2.014 | 0.669 | London | Northern City Line | 8 | London Underground |
Below this, station usage was as follows, per 2020-21 ridership data:
- 90 had reported between 1–2 million passengers
- 171 had reported between 500,001–1 million passengers
- 333 had reported between 200,001–500,000 passengers
- 298 had reported between 100,001–200,000 passengers
- 360 had reported between 50,001–100,000 passengers
- 713 had reported between 10,001–50,000 passengers
- 371 had reported between 1,001–10,000 passengers
- 120 had reported between 101–1,000 passengers
- 59 stations reported fewer than 100 passengers.
London terminal[]
This is a list of the busiest stations in the "London terminals" station group.
Rank | Station | Annual entries/exits (millions) 2020–21 |
Annual interchanges (millions) 2020–21 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Victoria | 13.791 | 1.385 |
2 | London Bridge | 13.764 | 2.361 |
3 | Waterloo | 12.215 | 1.375 |
3 | Liverpool Street | 11.212 | 1.131 |
4 | Euston | 6.607 | 0.843 |
5 | Paddington | 6.392 | 0.626 |
6 | St Pancras | 6.363 | 0.926 |
7 | Charing Cross | 5.373 | 0.092 |
8 | Vauxhall | 4.987 | 0.000 |
9 | King's Cross | 4.668 | 0.430 |
10 | Fenchurch Street | 3.200 | 0.396 |
11 | Cannon Street | 2.684 | 0.129 |
12 | Farringdon | 2.643 | 0.118 |
13 | Old Street | 2.231 | 0.000 |
14 | Waterloo East | 2.194 | 0.255 |
15 | Blackfriars | 2.100 | 0.581 |
16 | Marylebone | 2.035 | 0.111 |
17 | Moorgate | 1.935 | 0.232 |
18 | City Thameslink | 0.974 | 0.000 |
19 | Elephant & Castle | 0.667 | 0.049 |
Other London stations[]
This is a list of the 20 busiest stations in Greater London, excluding those listed above under the London termini.
Rank | Station | Annual entries/exits (millions) 2020–21 |
Annual interchanges (millions) 2020–21 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Stratford | 13.985 | 1.746 |
2 | Highbury & Islington | 8.661 | 1.116 |
3 | Clapham Junction | 8.371 | 6.824 |
4 | Barking | 6.743 | 0.263 |
5 | East Croydon | 6.695 | 0.972 |
6 | Canada Water | 5.576 | 0.000 |
7 | Wimbledon | 4.433 | 0.303 |
8 | Whitechapel | 4.142 | 0.000 |
9 | West Ham | 4.012 | 0.003 |
10 | Romford | 3.133 | 0.223 |
11 | Willesden Junction | 2.796 | 0.855 |
12 | Richmond | 2.699 | 0.329 |
13 | Tottenham Hale | 2.652 | 0.178 |
14 | Lewisham | 2.555 | 0.564 |
15 | Ilford | 2.536 | 0.010 |
16 | Seven Sisters | 2.359 | 0.005 |
17 | Denmark Hill | 2.343 | 0.182 |
18 | Shepherd's Bush | 2.272 | 0.004 |
19 | Dalston Kingsland | 2.130 | 0.000 |
20 | Ealing Broadway | 2.066 | 0.007 |
Stations outside London[]
This is a list of the 20 busiest stations in Great Britain outside London.
Rank | Railway Station | Annual entries/exits (millions) 2020–21 |
Annual interchanges (millions) 2020–21 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Birmingham New Street | 7.351 | 1.024 |
2 | Leeds | 5.854 | 0.545 |
3 | Glasgow Central | 5.325 | 0.761 |
4 | Manchester Piccadilly | 5.188 | 0.374 |
5 | Brighton | 4.149 | 0.367 |
6 | Liverpool Central | 3.606 | 0.172 |
7 | Liverpool Lime Street | 3.511 | 0.418 |
8 | Reading | 2.963 | 0.680 |
9 | Edinburgh Waverley | 2.958 | 0.203 |
10 | Cambridge | 2.301 | 0.123 |
11 | Glasgow Queen Street | 2.299 | 0.267 |
12 | Bristol Temple Meads | 2.033 | 0.277 |
13 | Cardiff Central | 1.975 | 0.240 |
14 | Sheffield | 1.907 | 0.179 |
15 | York | 1.837 | 0.116 |
16 | Coventry | 1.747 | 0.133 |
17 | Chelmsford | 1.717 | 0.011 |
18 | Gatwick Airport | 1.686 | 0.319 |
19 | Watford Junction | 1.680 | 0.091 |
20 | Moorfields | 1.613 | 0.335 |
See also[]
- List of busiest London Underground stations
- List of busiest railway stations in Europe
- List of busiest railway stations in North America
- List of busiest railway stations in West Yorkshire
References[]
- ^ "Estimates of station usage". Office of Rail and Road data portal. Office of Rail and Road. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Station usage quality and methodology report" (PDF). Office of Rail and Road data portal. Office of Rail and Road. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links[]
- Station usage - Main page
- Lists of railway stations in Great Britain
- Rail transport-related lists of superlatives