Leeds among busiest railway stations in the UK as passenger numbers rise
London Liverpool Street remains the busiest with over 98 million entries and exits
Leeds has been named one of the busiest railway stations in England outside London, with 27.3 million entries and exits recorded in the year to March 2024.
The data, released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), places Leeds behind Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly, which saw 36.6 million and 27.4 million entries and exits respectively.
London Liverpool Street retained its title as the busiest station across the UK, with an estimated 98 million entries and exits during the same period—a 3.7% increase compared to the previous year. London Waterloo came second with 70.4 million, followed by London Paddington (69.9 million) and Tottenham Court Road (68.1 million).
London Bridge rounded out the top five stations, recording 54.7 million entries and exits.
Passenger journeys across the UK reached a total of 1.73 billion, marking a 7% rise compared to 1.61 billion the previous year.
In Scotland, Glasgow Central claimed the top spot with 25.3 million entries and exits, while Cardiff Central led in Wales with 12.5 million.
At the other end of the scale, Elton and Orston in Nottinghamshire was the least-used station, with just 68 recorded entries and exits in 2023/24. The station is served by only one East Midlands Railway train in each direction, six days a week, and remains unstaffed.
Network Rail plans to redevelop London Liverpool Street as part of a £1.2 billion project that would involve constructing a mixed-use 97-metre tower block over the Grade II listed concourse.
Previous proposals for a 108-metre tower were met with criticism from figures such as broadcaster Sir Stephen Fry and artist Tracey Emin. A decision on the latest plan by the City of London Corporation is expected in 2024.