Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the trends in the level of rail patronage have been in the latest period for which data is available; and whether his Department has taken recent steps to increase modal shift onto rail.

Statistics on the number of rail passenger journeys are published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). This data is published on a quarterly basis. Table 1 below presents the number of passenger journeys undertaken in each quarter.

The Department is continuing to work closely with industry to support demand and revenue recovery. For example, the industry has undertaken national marketing targeted at lapsed and potential customers to remind them of the benefits and good value of rail travel.