Translink NI Railways has revealed that a record-breaking number of passenger journeys were made on local rail services last year.
In 2010/11, 10.4 million train passenger journeys were made in Northern Ireland beating the previous all time record of 10.2 million in 2008/9. Prior to this, the last time over 10 million passenger journeys were recorded was back in 1960 under the Ulster Transport Authority.
Translink Group Chief Executive Catherine Mason puts growing rail passenger numbers down to significant investment, strong passenger satisfaction levels and rising car fuel prices:
“There has been a 67% growth in local rail passenger numbers since 2002 far exceeding government targets and it is clear that many more people here are choosing the train as their preferred way to travel.
“This significant growth reflects an ongoing programme of change and enhancement to the local rail network, continued high performance levels, good customer service, effective marketing campaigns and shows that government investment is paying off.
“It is a very exciting development as we continue to welcome the arrival of 20 new trains for Northern Ireland. They will provide additional capacity and frequency so we can expect to see further passenger growth once they are all in service later next year.
“With soaring fuel prices, people are leaving their cars at home and opting for more cost-effective journeys. Our ongoing third-off return rail journeys offer and special discounts like our Rail Nights Out deals are definitely helping to attract more customers onboard.
“Rail passenger satisfaction is also high as we continue to listen to their views and we would like to thank all our customers for helping the company reach this milestone,” said Catherine.
