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List of busiest railway stations in Great Britain (2020–21)

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This is a list of the busiest railway stations in Great Britain on the National Rail network for the 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 financial year. The dataset records patterns of mobility during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom with significantly reduced levels of mobility compared with the previous year. Extended periods of significantly reduced commuting and long-distance travel caused many major stations to drop in the ranking. During 2020–21 there were 388 million passenger journeys on the network, compared to 1,739 million in 2019–20.[1] Stratford Regional in London was the busiest station during the year, replacing London Waterloo which had been top of the ranking for 16 years.

Methodology

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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.[2] 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.[3] 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. Data for 2020–21 was published on 25 November 2021.

All stations

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Only stations with annual entries and exits above 2 million passengers are shown. There were 5 stations with more than 10 million entries and exits, compared to 43 stations the previous year.

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[note 1] London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground
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[note 2] London Underground
5 London Liverpool Street 11.212 1.131 London Great Eastern Main Line
West Anglia Main Line
18 London Underground, London Overground
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[note 3] London Underground
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[note 4] London Underground
21 Wimbledon 4.433 0.303 London South West Main Line 10[note 5] London Underground, Croydon Tramlink
22 Brighton 4.149 0.367 Brighton Brighton Main Line
West Coastway Line

East Coastway Line

8
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,

Docklands Light Railway

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
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 Great Eastern Main Line 4[note 6]
38 Seven Sisters 2.359 0.005 London Lea Valley Lines
West Anglia Main Line
5 London Underground, London Overground
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
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 (close by), 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
Crystal Palace line
West London Route
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
Greenwich Park branch Line
Portsmouth Line
South London Line
4 London Overground
52 Bromley South 2.025 0.246 London Chatham Main Line
Maidstone East Line
Bromley South Line
Catford Loop Line
4
53 Finsbury Park 2.014 0.669 London Northern City Line
Thameslink
8 London Underground

Below this, station usage was as follows, per 2020–21 ridership data:

  • 90 had reported between 1 and 2 million passengers
  • 171 had reported between 500,001 and 1 million passengers
  • 333 had reported between 200,001 and 500,000 passengers
  • 298 had reported between 100,001 and 200,000 passengers
  • 360 had reported between 50,001 and 100,000 passengers
  • 713 had reported between 10,001 and 50,000 passengers
  • 371 had reported between 1,001 and 10,000 passengers
  • 120 had reported between 101 and 1,000 passengers
  • 59 stations reported fewer than 100 passengers.

London terminal

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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

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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

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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

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Notes

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  1. ^ 4 and 7 disused, 3A, 4A, 4B, and 10A exist
  2. ^ Platforms 25 and 26 are part of the Underground
  3. ^ Platforms 15 and 16 are part of the Underground, platform 13 closed
  4. ^ Starts at 0
  5. ^ 10a and 10b are Croydon Tramlink
  6. ^ 4 operational; 1 disused

References

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  1. ^ "Estimates of station usage 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022" (PDF). Office of Rail and Road. 24 November 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Estimates of station usage". Office of Rail and Road data portal. Office of Rail and Road. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  3. ^ "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.
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