[INT] Post-pandemic passenger numbers

[Austriantrain]

I just stumbled upon numbers for Austria for the current year 2022
- regional traffic: 10% less than 2019
- long-distance traffic: 15% *more* than 2019.

If you have numbers from other European countries available, it would make for interesting comparisons.

 

[yorksrob]

It's amazing what can be achieved when you have a Government that's not hell-bent on running the railway system into the ground.

 

[AdamWW]

I just stumbled upon numbers for Austria for the current year 2022
- regional traffic: 10% less than 2019
- long-distance traffic: 15% *more* than 2019.

Is the increase related to cheaper tickets?

I presume in Germany the regional traffic figures for the summer will be really quite healthy. (Fare income - not so much).

 

[Austriantrain]

Is the increase related to cheaper tickets?

I am sure it is partly down to the Klimaticket. I suspect the strong desire to travel after so many restrictions also plays an important part.

 

[DanielB]

NS published the following numbers for the first half of 2022:
- morning peak: 71% of 2019
- weekends: 98% of 2019

This averages to 85% of 2019 over the entire week.

As a positive exception the international traffic is mentioned, with passenger numbers being above the 2019 figures since April. However a concrete percentage is not mentioned.

 

[Jamesrob637]

NS published the following numbers for the first half of 2022:
- morning peak: 71% of 2019
- weekends: 98% of 2019

This averages to 85% of 2019 over the entire week.

As a positive exception the international traffic is mentioned, with passenger numbers being above the 2019 figures since April. However a concrete percentage is not mentioned.

So WFH is still popular in the Netherlands too, or at least part time.

 

[DanielB]

Probably a combination: a lot of people still work from home, but others bought a car or electric bike when public transport use was discouraged during COVID and are still using it now.
Staff shortage related cancellations also make public transport less attractive than before COVID. And the operators haven't done a lot in terms of attractive season tickets for people working from home part time, preventing them from returning to public transport.

 

[philg999]

So WFH is still popular in the Netherlands too, or at least part time.

I work for one of NL’s largest companies and we are doing only 1 day a week in the office. We can’t be the only ones!

 

[dutchflyer]

A bit of a special exception, as I heard this a day or 2 ago whilst there:
in POland on PKP/INtercity the last monthes (I think since may, perhaps april already) pax-nrs are above that pre-covid but main reason being the big influx of Ukraynian refugees-also lots who travel onward, via PL, and who enjoy free travel. In all main stations that I passed by are still and often very busy help-posts for them.

 

[Bald Rick]

It's amazing what can be achieved when you have a Government that's not hell-bent on running the railway system into the ground.

Indeed. I wish we could have support for the railway like the Austrians, Swiss, and Dutch….

NS published the following numbers for the first half of 2022:
- morning peak: 71% of 2019
- weekends: 98% of 2019

This averages to 85% of 2019 over the entire week.

As a positive exception the international traffic is mentioned, with passenger numbers being above the 2019 figures since April. However a concrete percentage is not mentioned.

oh.

 

[deltic]

Speaking to a couple of SBB officials yesterday, they stated leisure demand was higher than pre-covid but commuting was still considerably less and fluctuating so they still haven't been able to assess what the new normal will be.

The German €9 ticket saw urban rail demand increase by around 30% over pre-covid levels while rural regional services saw demand almost double compared to 2019

 

[railfan99]

Melbourne, Australia population c.5.1 million (and its state of Victoria, total including Mel 6.7 million): Melbourne Metro (suburban trains) and V/Line (country trains including commuter belt and long distance): 56 per cent of pre-pandemic, but higher during off peak.
Melbourne's trams and buses: no statistics readily available, but offpeak usage back to pre-pandemic: peak hour usage down.
Melbourne CBD quieter on Mondays and Fridays due to 'work from home' and a socialist State Premier who won't insist public servants return to the office.

 

[Austriantrain]

Indeed. I wish we could have support for the railway like the Austrians, Swiss, and Dutch….



oh.

Obviously, state-funding does not protect from changing working patterns… however, since so much more income in the UK comes from farebox receipts (atypically, also on commuter traffic), the consequences are different.

It depends where you come from to decide whether that’s a good thing or not…

Where railways are mostly funded by the taxpayer, a reduction in peak-traffic might actually not be a bad thing. Different of course if that peak traffic brings the fare income the railways depend upon for much of the rest of their service.