Passenger numbers up at Reading’s railway stations
- Official figures show substantial increase in use of Reading's central and community train stations
- The Council has been working with rail partners to improve facilities at Reading stations to encourage greater use of public transport
The Council’s drive to encourage more people to switch to public transport has been boosted with the news Reading’s railway stations have seen a big increase in passenger numbers.
According to official figures, Reading central station is the ninth busiest in the country outside of London. The borough’s three other smaller stations have also seen a growth in usage.
The Council has been working with rail industry partners to improve local stations in Reading as part of its overarching aim to encourage greater use of public transport and improve air quality in local communities.
Figures released by the Office of Rail and Road for April 2023 – March 2024 show that an estimated 13.5 million passengers passed through Reading central station, an 8.8% increase on the previous year.
Reading West saw the biggest increase in passenger numbers in the borough, up by 16% to 336,050, while 357,382 people travelled to or from Tilehurst station, an increase of 12%.
Reading Green Park station opened on the Reading – Basingstoke line in May 2023 and was used by 140,948 passengers up to March 2024. The Council worked with Great Western Railway and Network Rail to open Reading’s first new station in nearly 120 years.
A new bus service, the Buzz 9, was introduced by the Council in December last year to provide better public transport access to Green Park station.
The Council also worked with industry partners to introduce major improvements to Reading West station, including a new station building containing an information counter and customer toilets, and staffed ticket gates, new lighting and CCTV. The project was completed in March this year.
New passenger lifts are currently being installed at Tilehurst station to provide step-free access to all four platforms for the first time.
Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:
“It is wonderful to see that more and more people are using the railways in Reading. We are lucky enough to now have four stations in the borough which have all benefitted from recent investment.
“The Council will continue working with our railway partners to improve station facilities as part of our ongoing commitment to provide realistic sustainable transport alternatives for people travelling into and around Reading.”