‘Green shoots of growth’ show the way for return to public transport
12 March 2025
Report shows bus, rail and light rail passenger numbers increased for third consecutive year following Covid-19 pandemic
Growth in bus patronage strong in city regions, with West Midlands, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire above English average
Further devolution will help to lock in sustained growth of public transport
‘Green shoots of growth’ in the latest transport statistics demonstrate that public transport is continuing its strong return, with growing passenger numbers across bus, rail and light rail modes approaching pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report.
Inside track – The state of transport 2025, the annual report of transport trends published by the Urban Transport Group, reveals the extent of public transport’s growth (including the provision of networks) over the last year but also highlights where challenges remain.
Bus
Growth in bus passenger numbers has been particularly strong in England’s city regions, with bus patronage in Greater Manchester reaching 92% of its pre-Covid (2019/20) figures, and the West Midlands hitting 95% of this. Growth rates in bus patronage in the last year alone (2023/24) have been above the national English average (of 7%) in the West Midlands (11%), Greater Manchester (12%) and West Yorkshire (12%).
Bus patronage across England reached 3.6 billion in 2023/24 (compared to 3.4 billion in 2022/23). There were 4 billion bus passenger journeys in 2019/20, the last year before Covid-19.
Light rail
Light rail patronage in England saw growth of 8% in 2023/24, with patronage reaching 229 million passenger journeys (compared to 212 million in 2022/23). This is 13% down on the 2019/20 figure (263 million passenger journeys).
Rail
Passenger numbers on rail services in Great Britain also grew by 16% in 2023/24 to 1.6 billion passenger journeys (up from 1.4 billion in 2022/23). Rail patronage is now just 7% below figures for 2019/20 when there were 1.7 billion passenger journeys. If this growth continues, patronage could exceed pre-pandemic levels in the next year.
Jason Prince, Director of the Urban Transport Group, said:
“It’s great to see the green shoots of growth in public transport in our city regions – especially in the number of passengers using bus and light rail services. Whilst it’s taken a few years, public transport is nearing recovery from the lows of 2020, which is hugely encouraging.”
Other findings from the Inside track report include:
Service provision across bus, rail and light rail networks has increased in the last year, but all remain below their pre-pandemic highs
Bus service provision in the city regions outside London (the Metropolitan areas) grew by 3% on average in the last year
Overall trip numbers (the average number of trips people make across all modes) are still rising, though growth is slowing. In 2023, the average person took 915 trips, compared to the pre-pandemic high of 953 in 2019.
Cycling, walking and wheeling figures have largely flatlined, with a small drop in cycling numbers in 2023 (compared to 2022)
The number of trips as a car or van driver (or passenger) increased by 9% in 2023 (up to 548, from 510 in 2022). If this trend continues, we are likely to see trips return to their pre-Covid high (of 602 trips per person) within the next year.
Jason Prince added:
“Whilst there are reasons to be cheerful, we still have a way to go to call this a comeback for public transport. Now is the time to keep up the momentum on devolution, especially on rail, to lock in the revival of public transport and significantly boost active travel.”
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