Passenger journeys on West Midlands Railway (WMR) and London Northwestern Railway (LNR) have surged dramatically, with the sister operators among the fastest-growing in the country, according to new industry data.

Fresh figures from the Office of Rail and Road reveal a 12% year-on-year rise in passengers during the first quarter of 2025/26 – representing more than two million additional journeys. The operators, both run by Transport UK, carried 67.7 million passengers across 2024/25 and are now on course to exceed 80 million journeys this financial year.

The increase reflects a combination of factors including the launch of more LNR services in December 2024, the rollout of two new train fleets, and a post-pandemic rise in leisure travel – particularly at weekends. On London commuter routes, the extension of contactless ticketing across more stations in the south-east has also played a key role in boosting ridership.

Ian McConnell, managing director of both operators, said:

“Demand for travel on our services has sky-rocketed over the past year, particularly on our longer-distance routes to and from London Euston where we are attracting new customers to rail. Following the pandemic we saw a slow but steady return to rail but in the last 12 months we have seen record increases on some routes as even more customers take advantage of our excellent value fares and additional services. A thriving railway is good for passengers and taxpayers alike. With our recently-introduced new electric train fleet now providing 20% more capacity to and from London Euston, we look forward to continuing this trend and welcoming even more passengers on board in 2026.”

Looking ahead, the network is poised for further expansion. WMR plans to open five new stations across its network next year, while LNR will continue rolling out its modern Class 730 electric fleet to additional routes. The operator also hopes to launch services to Manchester Airport from December 2026, linking the international hub directly with cities such as Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent.

Currently, one in ten journeys between Manchester and London Euston already includes travel on LNR services, despite the company not yet operating a direct connection to the city. Among its most popular budget fares are journeys from Birmingham to London Euston from £9 one-way (£5.95 with a railcard) and Liverpool to London from £14 (£9.30 with a railcard).

Image: West Midlands Railway