Manchester Piccadilly named third busiest railway station outside London
19.12.2023 - 10:25
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Manchester Piccadilly railway station has been named as the third busiest station outside of London in latest figures revealed by a rail regulator.
The statistics reveal there were 23.6 million passenger 'entries and exits' at Piccadilly in the year to last March. Only Leeds (24m) and Birmingham New Street (30.7m) were busier than Greater Manchester's biggest railway station.
A station in Greater Manchester, however, has also been named the quietest in the country - with just 34 passengers all year.
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The figures, revealed by the Office of Rail and Road, show how rail travel in London eclipses everywhere else in Britain. The ORR said its figures showed London Liverpool Street has now replaced London Waterloo as the most used railway station. The opening of the Elizabeth line was said to be a 'principal contributing factor' in the almost 80.4 million entries and exits to Liverpool Street between April 1 last year and the end of March, an increase of around 50 million passengers.
London Paddington was second and Victoria - ranked in second place a year ago - has dropped to the fifth busiest station in London.
Passengers numbers at London Euston, which serves Manchester Piccadilly on the West Coast Main Line, also dropped, according to the figures. With 31.3m entries and exits, it ranked the tenth busiest in Britain, down from seventh place a year ago.
Overall, the statistics show that Manchester Piccadilly is the thirteenth busiest station in the country, busier than Glasgow Central, Edinburgh