National Statistics: Light rail and tram statistics, England: year ending March 2023

Published: 05 September 2023
By Chris Haycock

Light rail and tram statistics, England: year ending March 2023 HTML

The statistics are collected annually to inform the development and monitoring of light rail policy. Figures present information on usage, service provision, infrastructure and revenue for the 8 systems which are urban and primarily surface-running.

In the financial year ending March 2023, compared with the financial year ending March 2022:

• light rail and tram use in England increased by 23%, up to 212 million passenger journeys

• there was a 31% increase in passenger journeys in England outside London and an 18% increase in London

• vehicle mileage in England decreased slightly, to 20.8 million miles
• light rail revenue in England increased by 30%

Overall, light rail passenger numbers and revenue remain below pre-pandemic levels across most systems, as the sector recovers from the pandemic and adjusts to changes in working patterns.

Some restrictions were still in place in the year ending March 2022, and this therefore affects comparisons between the year ending March 2022 and the year ending March 2023.

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