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

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

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.

More information Rank, Railway station ...
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
2London Victoria 13.7911.385LondonBrighton Main Line
Chatham Main Line
19London Underground
3London Bridge 13.7642.361LondonSouth Eastern Main Line
Brighton Main Line
Thameslink
15London Underground
4London Waterloo 12.2151.375LondonSouth West Main Line
West of England Main Line
24[note 2]London Underground
5London Liverpool Street 11.2121.131LondonGreat Eastern Main Line
West Anglia Main Line
18London Underground, London Overground
6Highbury and Islington 8.6611.116LondonNorth London Line
East London Line
Northern City Line
8London Underground, London Overground
7Clapham Junction 8.3716.824LondonSouth West Main Line
West of England Main Line
Brighton Main Line
17London Overground
8Birmingham New Street 7.3511.024BirminghamWest Coast Main Line
Cross Country Route
13West Midlands Metro
9Barking 6.7430.263LondonLondon, Tilbury and Southend line9London Underground
10East Croydon 6.6950.972LondonBrighton Main Line6Croydon Tramlink
11London Euston 6.6070.843LondonWest Coast Main Line18London Underground, London Overground
12London Paddington 6.3920.626LondonGreat Western Main Line
South Wales Main Line
Reading to Plymouth Line
13[note 3]London Underground
13London St Pancras International 6.3630.926LondonMidland Main Line
Thameslink
Eurostar
South Eastern High Speed
15London Underground
14Leeds 5.8540.545LeedsEast Coast Main Line
Midland Main Line
Cross Country Route
18
15Canada Water 5.5760.000LondonEast London Line4London Underground
16London Charing Cross 5.3730.092LondonSouth Eastern Main Line6London Underground
17Glasgow Central 5.3250.761GlasgowWest Coast Main Line17Glasgow Subway (close by)
18Manchester Piccadilly 5.1880.374ManchesterWest Coast Main Line14Manchester Metrolink
19Vauxhall 4.9870.000LondonSouth West Main Line8London Underground
20London King's Cross 4.6680.430LondonEast Coast Main Line11[note 4]London Underground
21Wimbledon 4.4330.303LondonSouth West Main Line10[note 5]London Underground, Croydon Tramlink
22Brighton 4.1490.367BrightonBrighton Main Line
West Coastway Line

East Coastway Line

8
23Whitechapel 4.1420.000LondonLondon Overground4London Underground
24West Ham 4.0120.003LondonLondon, Tilbury and Southend line8London Underground,

Docklands Light Railway

25Liverpool Central 3.6060.172LiverpoolMerseyrail services (Wirral and Northern lines)3
26Liverpool Lime Street 3.5110.418LiverpoolWest Coast Main Line
Liverpool to Manchester Lines
10Merseyrail Wirral line
27London Fenchurch Street 3.2000.396LondonLondon, Tilbury & Southend Line4
28 Romford 3.133 0.223 London Great Eastern Main Line
Romford to Upminster Line
5 London Overground
29Reading 2.9630.680ReadingGreat Western Main Line15
30Edinburgh Waverley 2.9580.203EdinburghEast Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
20Edinburgh Trams
31 Willesden Junction 2.796 0.855 London North London Line
West London Line
Watford DC Line
5 London Underground, London Overground
32Richmond 2.6990.329LondonLondon Overground7London Underground
33London Cannon Street 2.6840.129LondonSouth Eastern Main Line7London Underground
34 Tottenham Hale 2.652 0.178 London West Anglia Main Line 3 London Underground
35Farringdon 2.6430.118LondonThameslink2London Underground
36Lewisham 2.5550.564LondonMid-Kent Line6Docklands 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
40Cambridge 2.3010.123CambridgeWest Anglia Main Line8
41Glasgow Queen Street 2.2990.267GlasgowGlasgow to Edinburgh9Glasgow 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
44Waterloo East 2.1940.255LondonSouth Eastern Main Line
North Kent Line
4London Underground (close by)
45 Dalston Kingsland 2.130 0.000 London North London Line 2
46Blackfriars 2.1000.581LondonThameslink4London 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
49London Marylebone 2.0350.111LondonChiltern Main Line6London Underground
50Bristol Temple Meads 2.0330.277BristolSouth 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
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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

This is a list of the busiest stations in the "London terminals" station group.

More information Rank, Station ...
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
3Waterloo12.2151.375
3Liverpool Street11.2121.131
4 Euston 6.607 0.843
5 Paddington 6.392 0.626
6 St Pancras 6.363 0.926
7Charing Cross5.3730.092
8Vauxhall4.9870.000
9King's Cross4.6680.430
10Fenchurch Street3.2000.396
11Cannon Street2.6840.129
12Farringdon2.6430.118
13Old Street2.2310.000
14Waterloo East2.1940.255
15Blackfriars2.1000.581
16Marylebone2.0350.111
17Moorgate1.9350.232
18City Thameslink0.9740.000
19Elephant & Castle0.6670.049
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Other London stations

This is a list of the 20 busiest stations in Greater London, excluding those listed above under the London termini.

More information Rank, Station ...
Rank Station Annual entries/exits
(millions)
2020–21
Annual interchanges
(millions)
2020–21
1Stratford13.9851.746
2Highbury & Islington8.6611.116
3Clapham Junction8.3716.824
4Barking6.7430.263
5East Croydon6.6950.972
6Canada Water5.5760.000
7Wimbledon4.4330.303
8Whitechapel4.1420.000
9West Ham4.0120.003
10Romford3.1330.223
11Willesden Junction2.7960.855
12Richmond2.6990.329
13Tottenham Hale2.6520.178
14Lewisham2.5550.564
15Ilford2.5360.010
16Seven Sisters2.3590.005
17Denmark Hill2.3430.182
18Shepherd's Bush2.2720.004
19Dalston Kingsland2.1300.000
20Ealing Broadway2.0660.007
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Stations outside London

This is a list of the 20 busiest stations in Great Britain outside London.

More information Rank, Railway Station ...
Rank Railway Station Annual entries/exits
(millions)
2020–21
Annual interchanges
(millions)
2020–21
1Birmingham New Street7.3511.024
2Leeds5.8540.545
3Glasgow Central5.3250.761
4Manchester Piccadilly5.1880.374
5Brighton4.1490.367
6Liverpool Central3.6060.172
7Liverpool Lime Street3.5110.418
8Reading2.9630.680
9Edinburgh Waverley2.9580.203
10Cambridge2.3010.123
11Glasgow Queen Street2.2990.267
12Bristol Temple Meads2.0330.277
13Cardiff Central1.9750.240
14Sheffield1.9070.179
15York1.8370.116
16Coventry1.7470.133
17Chelmsford1.7170.011
18Gatwick Airport1.6860.319
19Watford Junction1.6800.091
20Moorfields1.6130.335
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See also

Notes

  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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