List of busiest railway stations in Great Britain

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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 2012 Olympic Park viewed over Stratford Station from the roof of The Stratford Centre - geograph.org.uk - 1128399.jpg
2 London Victoria 13.791 1.385 London Brighton Main Line
Chatham Main Line
19 London Underground London Victoria Station.jpg
3 London Bridge 13.764 2.361 London South Eastern Main Line
Brighton Main Line
Thameslink
15 London Underground London January 5 2018 (47) London Bridge Station (38813334494).jpg
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 Waterloo-Station-2013.JPG
5 London Liverpool Street 11.212 1.131 London Great Eastern Main Line
West Anglia Main Line
18 London Underground, London Overground, TfL Rail Liverpool Street Station Concourse, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
6 Highbury and Islington 8.661 1.116 London North London Line
East London Line

Northern City Line

8 London Underground, London Overground HighburyIslington North London Line look east June 2010.jpg
7 Clapham Junction 8.371 6.824 London South West Main Line
West of England Main Line
Brighton Main Line
17 London Overground Clapham Junction Railway Station South Western Entrance.jpg
8 Birmingham New Street 7.351 1.024 Birmingham West Coast Main Line
Cross Country Route
13 West Midlands Metro 2015-09-23 New St East Entrance.jpg
9 Barking 6.743 0.263 London London, Tilbury and Southend line 9 London Underground Barkinglongview.jpg
10 East Croydon 6.695 0.972 London Brighton Main Line 6 Croydon Tramlink East Croydon station.jpg
11 London Euston 6.607 0.843 London West Coast Main Line 18 London Underground, London Overground Euston Station London - geograph.org.uk - 1309275.jpg
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 Paddington Station rush hour.jpg
13 London St Pancras International 6.363 0.926 London Midland Main Line
Thameslink
Eurostar
South Eastern High Speed
15 London Underground St Pancras Railway Station 2012-06-23.jpg
14 Leeds 5.854 0.545 Leeds East Coast Main Line
Midland Main Line
Cross Country Route
18 Overview of Leeds City railway station 04.jpg
15 Canada Water 5.576 0.000 London East London Line 4 London Underground Canada Water Station, Southwark, London - geograph.org.uk - 1217193.jpg
16 London Charing Cross 5.373 0.092 London South Eastern Main Line 6 London Underground Charingcross-eye s.jpg
17 Glasgow Central 5.325 0.761 Glasgow West Coast Main Line 17 Glasgow Subway (close by) GlasgowCentral.jpg
18 Manchester Piccadilly 5.188 0.374 Manchester West Coast Main Line 14 Manchester Metrolink Piccadilly Station Manchester - geograph.org.uk - 692981.jpg
19 Vauxhall 4.987 0.000 London South West Main Line 8 London Underground Vauxhall mainline stn north building.JPG
20 London King's Cross 4.668 0.430 London East Coast Main Line 11 (Starts at 0) London Underground KingsCrossOutside.JPG
21 Wimbledon 4.433 0.303 London South West Main Line 10 (10a and 10b are Croydon Tramlink) London Underground, Croydon Tramlink Wimbledon station main building.JPG
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 Whitechapel stn entrance.JPG
24 West Ham 4.012 0.003 London London, Tilbury and Southend line 8 London Underground West Ham stn entrance closeup.JPG
25 Liverpool Central 3.606 0.172 Liverpool Merseyrail services (Wirral and Northern lines) 3 Merseyrail Class 507s, Liverpool Central railway station (geograph 3787001).jpg
26 Liverpool Lime Street 3.511 0.418 Liverpool West Coast Main Line
Liverpool to Manchester Lines
10 Merseyrail Wirral line Lime Street Station Liverpool (6730056063).jpg
27 London Fenchurch Street 3.200 0.396 London London, Tilbury & Southend Line 4 Fenchurch Street station (6553644825).jpg
28 Romford 3.133 0.223 London Great Eastern Main Line

Romford to Upminster Line

Shenfield Metro

5 London Overground Class 321 429 arriving at Romford.jpg
29 Reading 2.963 0.680 Reading Great Western Main Line 15 TfL Rail Reading railway station MMB 01.jpg
30 Edinburgh Waverley 2.958 0.203 Edinburgh East Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
20 Edinburgh Trams Edinburgh Waverley station viewed from Edinburgh Castle 2005-06-17 02.jpg
31 Willesden Junction 2.796 0.855 London North London Line

West London Line

Watford DC Line

5 London Underground, London Overground Willesden Junction ('New') Station geograph-4071406-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
32 Richmond 2.699 0.329 London London Overground 7 London Underground Richmond station 20180422 105846 (49433657212).jpg
33 London Cannon Street 2.684 0.129 London South Eastern Main Line 7 London Underground Cannon Street station new building.JPG
34 Tottenham Hale 2.652 0.178 London West Anglia Main Line 3 London Underground Tottenham Hale Station geograph-4042951-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
35 Farringdon 2.643 0.118 London Thameslink 2 London Underground Farringdon station new building open 2012.JPG
36 Lewisham 2.555 0.564 London Mid-Kent Line 6 Docklands Light Railway Lewisham station MMB 08.jpg
37 Ilford 2.536 0.010 London Shenfield Metro 4 operational; 1 disused Ilford station Ilford Hill entrance 2021 04.jpg
38 Seven Sisters 2.359 0.005 London Lea Valley Lines

West Anglia Main Line

5 London Underground, London Overground Seven Sisters ground level entrance.JPG
39 Denmark Hill 2.343 0.182 London Thameslink

Greenwich Park branch Line

Chatham Main Line

South London Line

4 London Overground
40 Cambridge 2.301 0.123 Cambridge West Anglia Main Line 8 Cambridge railway station frontage, England - DSCF2235.JPG
41 Glasgow Queen Street 2.299 0.267 Glasgow Glasgow to Edinburgh 9 Glasgow Subway (close by) Glasgow Queen Street Station.jpg
42 Shepherd's Bush 2.272 0.004 London West London Line 2 London Underground, London Overground Shepherd's Bush Overground stn entrance.JPG
43 Old Street 2.231 0.000 London Northern City Line 4 London Underground Old Street stn southeast entrance.JPG
44 Waterloo East 2.194 0.255 London South Eastern Main Line
North Kent Line
4 London Underground (close by) Waterlooeast.jpg
45 Dalston Kingsland 2.130 0.000 London North London Line 2 Dalston kingsland.jpg
46 Blackfriars 2.100 0.581 London Thameslink 4 London Underground Blackfriars tube stn and Thameslink northern entrance 2012.JPG
47 Ealing Broadway 2.066 0.007 London Great Western Main Line 9 London Underground Ealing Broadway station (1).jpg
48 Balham 2.044 0.129 London Brighton Main Line

Crystal Palace line

West London Route

4 London Underground Balham Underground Station - geograph.org.uk - 662533.jpg
49 London Marylebone 2.035 0.111 London Chiltern Main Line 6 London Underground Marylebone station frontage - DSCF0473.JPG
50 Bristol Temple Meads 2.033 0.277 Bristol South Wales Main Line
Cross Country Route
Wessex Main Line
13 Bristol Temple Meads station (6466232797).jpg
51 Peckham Rye 2.029 0.725 London Catford Loop Line

Greenwich Park branch Line

Portsmouth Line

South London Line

4 London Overground Peckham Rye stn entrance.JPG
52 Bromley South 2.025 0.246 London Chatham Main Line

Maidstone East Line

Bromley South Line

Catford Loop Line

4 Bromley South station - geograph.org.uk - 937533.jpg
53 Finsbury Park 2.014 0.669 London Northern City Line

Thameslink

8 London Underground Finsbury Park station MMB 21.jpg

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[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Estimates of station usage". Office of Rail and Road data portal. Office of Rail and Road. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "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[]

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