Station usage has traditionally been understood through station surveys and counts. However, these counts are not consistently undertaken on the same day, week, and month each year, making conclusive comparisons tenuous. The usage data presented here has been derived for all stations on the GB rail network using consistent inputs, including seasonal and daily observed patterns. This consistency allows for reliable comparisons of station footfall across regions and nationally. Such comparisons can be useful for train service planning and making decisions about station facility provisions and alterations.

The usage data generated here is based on a detailed simulation of railway journeys allocated to each train and platform at each station. This level of granularity allows us to observe journeys from start to finish, including the bunching of passengers at origin stations as they board trains, crowding of passengers as they make transfers across station platforms, navigate through subways and footbridges, and disembark from trains at peak or off-peak times at their destination stations.

Short-term changes to the train service, such as planned closures for engineering access, major event plans, and seasonal variations during the Christmas period, can pose different challenges for train service planning and managing levels of crowding. These variable travel patterns require careful analysis. Usage patterns for such major events are analysed and published here for planning purposes.