The United Kingdom is renowned for its decade-old transport and infrastructure that supports the economy and pumps the nation throughout the country. This transport infrastructure expands not just to capitals but also to all nooks and crannies, spread out like veins across the country. At the same time, it is worth noting that this transport service has come a long way with modernisation and transformation, with new policies to deliver the best to the consumer groups.
With that said, let’s have a look at how the transport industry has grown over the years and how different statistics contributed to its positive growth amid the challenges.
What Is The Rank Of UK Transport Globally?
Overall, the United Kingdom’s transport sector is ranked 26th for its travel quality in 2023, marking a significant increase in performance. However, major improvements are still needed to reach the quality standards of Europe, especially Singapore, which ranks at #01.
How Many Passenger Journeys Were Recorded In The UK?
Since travellers rely on public transport and the infrastructure to commute and travel, 2023 alone recorded 7 billion journeys. This figure clearly indicates the importance of public transport and its crucial contribution to the overall economy of the UK.
How Many Passengers Travelled On Local Buses?
The local buses recorded over 4 billion passengers in 2023, marking a resounding recovery from the pre-pandemic numbers and drawing the interest of more people to the public transport network.
What Are The Stats For Passengers Travelling By Rail?
The total passenger count on rail reached 2.8 billion journeys in 2023. Out of these, 1.6 billion journeys were on the National Rail and 1.2 billion for the tube service underground.
What Are The Total Kilometres Travelled In The UK?
In total, the passengers have travelled 799 billion kilometres in 2023, of which 90% are road trips. Here is the detailed breakdown of the kilometres travelled by passengers:
Mode of Transport | Percentage of Total Distance Travelled |
Road (Total) | 90% |
- Cars, Vans, and Taxis | 85% |
- Buses and Coaches | 4% |
- Motorcycles | 1% |
- Pedal Cycles | 1% |
Rail | 9% |
Air | 1% |
What Was The Purpose Of Travel For Brits In England?
The main purpose of travel for British residents in England has been shopping, with 18% of the trips in total. Meanwhile, commuting accounted for 13%, and the same figure was for education. Check out UK Tourism Statistics to know more in detail about tourists and their behaviour.
Which Transport Mode Contributes Most To Passenger Kilometres?
Road transport, private or public transport of cars, buses, vans and taxis have a higher contribution of up to 90%. Meanwhile, rail only accounts for 9% and 1% by air.
How Has Road Traffic Evolved Recently?
The road traffic is seeing a prominent growth in 2023, with up to a 2.2% increase compared to 2022, with a total of traffic reaching 330.8 billion vehicles. Despite the promising growth, the UK still has to reach the pre-pandemic numbers. However, this decline may also be the cause of mindful travelling habits of travellers to contribute to the good cause of the climate crisis.
How Has Car Traffic Grown In Recent Years?
Since cars are the primary mode of transport for many passengers in the UK, it is also at the forefront of growth. In 2023, the car traffic covered 251.3 billion vehicle miles travelled. This is 3.0% higher compared to 2022 but 4.4% lower than 2019.
How Many Passengers Account For Cycle Traffic In The UK?
Pedal bicycle traffic exploded with 3.6 billion vehicle miles travelled. Meanwhile, these figures were surprisingly low up to 7.3% for 2022.
What Are The Latest Freight Movement Figures For The UK?
Being the economic pillar of the UK’s economy, 2023 recorded 207 billion tonne-kilometres of freight movement in the domestic sector. These include 167 billion tonnes-kilometres by road, 24 billion by water and 16 billion by rail.
How Has Rail Passenger Usage Recovered Recently In The UK?
Rail transport is seeing a promising recovery, with 433 million journeys from July to September 2024. This quarter alone was able to record a 9% increase in 2023. This is clear and steady progress towards the pre-pandemic figures.
What Are The Recent Trends In Bus Transport In London?
The bus is a famous public and private mode of transport for many passengers, which has reached 4 billion journeys nationally, with 1.8 billion recorded for London alone.
How Many Licensed Vehicles Are There In Great Britain?
As of 2023, there are 41.2 million licensed vehicles in the UK, which is an increase of 1% compared to 2022.
How Do Urban & Rural Travel Patterns Differ In The UK?
Urban travellers prefer walking and cycling, along with the usage of public transport like buses, tube and railway service. Meanwhile, rural travellers heavily rely on cars because of the limited access to the nearby public transport service.
Which Train Operator Saw The Biggest Growth In Passengers?
Govia Thameslink Railway saw the biggest growth, with 75.4 million passengers in the last quarter of 2024. This is a 7% positive growth compared to 2023.
Which City In The UK Is Leading For Highest Public Transport Performance?
London is the leading public transport capital, with the London Bus being an important service in the city.
What Are The Stats For Trips Taken Per Person In The UK?
In 2023, transport stats are strengthened with 915 trips taken per person in England across all modes of transport. This is further expanding with an upward trend(6% increase from 2022), making the United Kingdom’s transport a reliable service among local and international passengers.
How Does Air Travel Compare To Other Modes?
While generally, road and rail transport is preferred by domestic and international travellers, air travel is still dominant because of the incoming and outgoing traffic. Despite being 1% of the total passenger's kilometres travelled, UK airports are handling around 292.5 million passengers in 2024.
How Many Goods Were Transported To The UK In 2023?
Around 1.55 billion tonnes of goods were transported to the UK by Heavy Goods Vehicles. It is not near the figures of 2022 with 1.64 billion tonnes lifted. But still, the figures are expected to fluctuate with changing economic positions and trade policies.
How Do The Total New Vehicle Registrations In 2023 Compare To 2022?
With 2.535 million vehicles registered in 2023, the UK saw a positive trend of a 16% increase compared to vehicle registrations of 2.178 million in 2022.
Which Vehicle Type Saw The Highest Growth?
As for the growth of vehicle type, Light Goods Vehicles saw the highest registration at a growth rate of 20.5% while the cars only reaching 17.8%.
What Are The Trends Of Sustainable Transportation In The UK?
Sustainable transportation is also picking up trends, with 342,000 zero-emission vehicles registered in 2023.
What Vehicle Fuel Type Is Declining In The UK?
Amid the sustainability crisis and much guidance toward climate change, Diesel has been falling since 2019. Meanwhile, petrol is undergoing a rebound of 9% after a significant decline in 2023.
What Is The Peak Season For Vehicle Registration?
March and September were recorded as the peak months with the most vehicles registered, as this seasonality has been followed since 1999.
Among The Licensed Vehicles, How Many Include Vans?
As of 2023, there are 4.6 million licensed vans across the United Kingdom. This figure is much higher compared to the figures of 2019, which could only record 4.1 million registered vans.
What Is The Age Of An Average Car On The Roads Of The UK?
In 2023, the average age of a licensed car in the UK was 10 years. The UK authorities have controlled this to reduce the number of dangerous and old vehicles on the road and encourage modern brands that are safe and protect the climate.
How Much Investment Is Being Made In The UK Transport Infrastructure?
The UK’s government authorities are also coming forward for investment in the transport sector aimed at improving the services provided, like better connectivity, reducing congestion and long-term growth. In 2022, out of the £26.0 billion invested in the infrastructure, £22.5 billion was invested in transport infrastructure.
What Has Been The Trend Of Travel Infrastructure Investment Over The Past Years?
Transportation infrastructure is experiencing positive growth in investment from local businesses, especially the government sector. In 2023, the government announced a £40 billion capital investment that will focus on enhancing transport network projects like High Speed Two and road developments. Meanwhile, this year, the government has also approved another £2 billion redevelopment for Old Trafford and £10 billion for the Lower Thames Crossing to further support the growing demand for transport.
How Much Does Transport Contribute to The GDP Of the UK?
The transport sector makes a prominent contribution to the UK’s GDP, with the Gross Value Added reaching £67.8 billion in 2023. Meanwhile, this value reached up to £83.5 billion in 2024, a record-breaking increase compared to the previous year.
What Is The Trend Of Rail Passengers Numbers Pre & Post Pandemic?
Rail transport suffered the most during the pandemic, but it is on the course of a steady recovery in 2023. Under the ongoing inflation and economic crisis, rail transport is still 20% below the pre-pandemic numbers.
What Are The Stats Of People Commuting To Work In Great Britain?
According to the latest data from 2023, 66% of the British population used a car for commuting to work. For a further breakdown, in England, 65% of the population accounted for car commute, while Scotland could record only 69%, and Wales with 81%.
How Many Miles Of Roads Are There In Great Britain?
As of 2024, the latest research revealed that there are 246,500 miles of road in Great Britain. These miles include 188,300 miles in England, 37,100 in Scotland and 21,100 miles in Wales.
What Are The Stats Of Foreign Registered Vehicles On UK Roads?
Not just the local, but UK roads were also utilised by foreign registered vehicles. As of 2019, 0.3% of the total traffic included foreign-registered vehicles. Although it was much lower compared to 0.6 per cent in 2017, it is still a strong figure representing the diversity of traffic in the UK.
