# List of busiest railway stations in Great Britain (2020–21)

This is a list of the busiest railway stations in Great Britain on the National Rail network for the 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 financial year. The dataset records patterns of mobility during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom with significantly reduced levels of mobility compared with the previous year. Extended periods of significantly reduced commuting and long-distance travel caused many major stations to drop in the ranking. During 2020–21 there were 388 million passenger journeys on the network, compared to 1,739 million in 2019–20. Stratford Regional in London was the busiest station during the year, replacing London Waterloo which had been top of the ranking for 16 years.

## Methodology

The figures are collected by the Office of Rail and Road, and are estimates based on ticket usage data use of an Origin Destination Matrix, a comprehensive matrix of rail flows between stations throughout Great Britain in the financial year of 2020–21. The data count entries and exits at any station. Note that the data covers mainland Great Britain and surrounding small islands (such as the Isle of Wight), not the United Kingdom, and so exclude tickets within Northern Ireland and Eurostar. There are various further limits to the data due to the variety of ticketing options available on rail services within the UK; these are outlined in full in the report on the data. Only tickets sold for National Rail services are included; some stations may also be served by underground metro or urban light rail networks. Stations serving solely the London Underground, light rail, special tours or heritage railways are therefore excluded. Data for 2020–21 was published on 25 November 2021.

## All stations

Only stations with annual entries and exits above 2 million passengers are shown. There were 5 stations with more than 10 million entries and exits, compared to 43 stations the previous year.
| Rank | Railway station | Annual entries/exits (millions) 2020–21 | Annual interchanges (millions) 2020–21 | Location | Main services | Number of platforms | Interchange systems |
| 1 | Stratford | 13.985 | 1.746 | London | Great Eastern Main Line Lea Valley Lines | 9 | London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground |
| 2 | London Victoria | 13.791 | 1.385 | London | Brighton Main Line Chatham Main Line | 19 | London Underground |
| 3 | London Bridge | 13.764 | 2.361 | London | South Eastern Main Line Brighton Main Line Thameslink | 15 | London Underground |
| 4 | London Waterloo | 12.215 | 1.375 | London | South West Main Line West of England Main Line | 24 | London Underground |
| 5 | London Liverpool Street | 11.212 | 1.131 | London | Great Eastern Main Line West Anglia Main Line | 18 | London Underground, London Overground |
| 6 | Highbury and Islington | 8.661 | 1.116 | London | North London Line East London Line Northern City Line | 8 | London Underground, London Overground |
| 7 | Clapham Junction | 8.371 | 6.824 | London | South West Main Line West of England Main Line Brighton Main Line | 17 | London Overground |
| 8 | Birmingham New Street | 7.351 | 1.024 | Birmingham | West Coast Main Line Cross Country Route | 13 | West Midlands Metro |
| 9 | Barking | 6.743 | 0.263 | London | London, Tilbury and Southend line | 9 | London Underground |
| 10 | East Croydon | 6.695 | 0.972 | London | Brighton Main Line | 6 | Croydon Tramlink |
| 11 | London Euston | 6.607 | 0.843 | London | West Coast Main Line | 18 | London Underground, London Overground |
| 12 | London Paddington | 6.392 | 0.626 | London | Great Western Main Line South Wales Main Line Reading to Plymouth Line | 13 | London Underground |
| 13 | London St Pancras International | 6.363 | 0.926 | London | Midland Main Line Thameslink Eurostar South Eastern High Speed | 15 | London Underground |
| 14 | Leeds | 5.854 | 0.545 | Leeds | East Coast Main Line Midland Main Line Cross Country Route | 18 | |
| 15 | Canada Water | 5.576 | 0.000 | London | East London Line | 4 | London Underground |
| 16 | London Charing Cross | 5.373 | 0.092 | London | South Eastern Main Line | 6 | London Underground |
| 17 | Glasgow Central | 5.325 | 0.761 | Glasgow | West Coast Main Line | 17 | Glasgow Subway (close by) |
| 18 | Manchester Piccadilly | 5.188 | 0.374 | Manchester | West Coast Main Line | 14 | Manchester Metrolink |
| 19 | Vauxhall | 4.987 | 0.000 | London | South West Main Line | 8 | London Underground |
| 20 | London King's Cross | 4.668 | 0.430 | London | East Coast Main Line | 11 | London Underground |
| 21 | Wimbledon | 4.433 | 0.303 | London | South West Main Line | 10 | London Underground, Croydon Tramlink |
| 22 | Brighton | 4.149 | 0.367 | Brighton | Brighton Main Line West Coastway Line East Coastway Line | 8 | |
| 23 | Whitechapel | 4.142 | 0.000 | London | London Overground | 4 | London Underground |
| 24 | West Ham | 4.012 | 0.003 | London | London, Tilbury and Southend line | 8 | London Underground, Docklands Light Railway |
| 25 | Liverpool Central | 3.606 | 0.172 | Liverpool | Merseyrail services (Wirral and Northern lines) | 3 | |
| 26 | Liverpool Lime Street | 3.511 | 0.418 | Liverpool | West Coast Main Line Liverpool to Manchester Lines | 10 | Merseyrail Wirral line |
| 27 | London Fenchurch Street | 3.200 | 0.396 | London | London, Tilbury & Southend Line | 4 | |
| 28 | Romford | 3.133 | 0.223 | London | Great Eastern Main Line Romford to Upminster Line | 5 | London Overground |
| 29 | Reading | 2.963 | 0.680 | Reading | Great Western Main Line | 15 | |
| 30 | Edinburgh Waverley | 2.958 | 0.203 | Edinburgh | East Coast Main Line West Coast Main Line | 20 | Edinburgh Trams |
| 31 | Willesden Junction | 2.796 | 0.855 | London | North London Line West London Line Watford DC Line | 5 | London Underground, London Overground |
| 32 | Richmond | 2.699 | 0.329 | London | London Overground | 7 | London Underground |
| 33 | London Cannon Street | 2.684 | 0.129 | London | South Eastern Main Line | 7 | London Underground |
| 34 | Tottenham Hale | 2.652 | 0.178 | London | West Anglia Main Line | 3 | London Underground |
| 35 | Farringdon | 2.643 | 0.118 | London | Thameslink | 2 | London Underground |
| 36 | Lewisham | 2.555 | 0.564 | London | Mid-Kent Line | 6 | Docklands Light Railway |
| 37 | Ilford | 2.536 | 0.010 | London | Great Eastern Main Line | 4 | |
| 38 | Seven Sisters | 2.359 | 0.005 | London | Lea Valley Lines West Anglia Main Line | 5 | London Underground, London Overground |
| 39 | Denmark Hill | 2.343 | 0.182 | London | Thameslink Greenwich Park branch Line Chatham Main Line South London Line | 4 | London Overground |
| 40 | Cambridge | 2.301 | 0.123 | Cambridge | West Anglia Main Line | 8 | |
| 41 | Glasgow Queen Street | 2.299 | 0.267 | Glasgow | Glasgow to Edinburgh | 9 | Glasgow Subway (close by) |
| 42 | Shepherd's Bush | 2.272 | 0.004 | London | West London Line | 2 | London Underground (close by), London Overground |
| 43 | Old Street | 2.231 | 0.000 | London | Northern City Line | 4 | London Underground |
| 44 | Waterloo East | 2.194 | 0.255 | London | South Eastern Main Line North Kent Line | 4 | London Underground (close by) |
| 45 | Dalston Kingsland | 2.130 | 0.000 | London | North London Line | 2 | |
| 46 | Blackfriars | 2.100 | 0.581 | London | Thameslink | 4 | London Underground |
| 47 | Ealing Broadway | 2.066 | 0.007 | London | Great Western Main Line | 9 | London Underground |
| 48 | Balham | 2.044 | 0.129 | London | Brighton Main Line Crystal Palace line West London Route | 4 | London Underground |
| 49 | London Marylebone | 2.035 | 0.111 | London | Chiltern Main Line | 6 | London Underground |
| 50 | Bristol Temple Meads | 2.033 | 0.277 | Bristol | South Wales Main Line Cross Country Route Wessex Main Line | 13 | |
| 51 | Peckham Rye | 2.029 | 0.725 | London | Catford Loop Line Greenwich Park branch Line Portsmouth Line South London Line | 4 | London Overground |
| 52 | Bromley South | 2.025 | 0.246 | London | Chatham Main Line Maidstone East Line Bromley South Line Catford Loop Line | 4 | |
| 53 | Finsbury Park | 2.014 | 0.669 | London | Northern City Line Thameslink | 8 | London Underground |
Below this, station usage was as follows, per 2020–21 ridership data:
* 90 had reported between 1 and 2 million passengers
* 171 had reported between 500,001 and 1 million passengers
* 333 had reported between 200,001 and 500,000 passengers
* 298 had reported between 100,001 and 200,000 passengers
* 360 had reported between 50,001 and 100,000 passengers
* 713 had reported between 10,001 and 50,000 passengers
* 371 had reported between 1,001 and 10,000 passengers
* 120 had reported between 101 and 1,000 passengers
* 59 stations reported fewer than 100 passengers.

## London terminal

This is a list of the busiest stations in the "London terminals" station group.
| Rank | Station | Annual entries/exits (millions) 2020–21 | Annual interchanges (millions) 2020–21 |
| 1 | Victoria | 13.791 | 1.385 |
| 2 | London Bridge | 13.764 | 2.361 |
| 3 | Waterloo | 12.215 | 1.375 |
| 3 | Liverpool Street | 11.212 | 1.131 |
| 4 | Euston | 6.607 | 0.843 |
| 5 | Paddington | 6.392 | 0.626 |
| 6 | St Pancras | 6.363 | 0.926 |
| 7 | Charing Cross | 5.373 | 0.092 |
| 8 | Vauxhall | 4.987 | 0.000 |
| 9 | King's Cross | 4.668 | 0.430 |
| 10 | Fenchurch Street | 3.200 | 0.396 |
| 11 | Cannon Street | 2.684 | 0.129 |
| 12 | Farringdon | 2.643 | 0.118 |
| 13 | Old Street | 2.231 | 0.000 |
| 14 | Waterloo East | 2.194 | 0.255 |
| 15 | Blackfriars | 2.100 | 0.581 |
| 16 | Marylebone | 2.035 | 0.111 |
| 17 | Moorgate | 1.935 | 0.232 |
| 18 | City Thameslink | 0.974 | 0.000 |
| 19 | Elephant & Castle | 0.667 | 0.049 |

## Other London stations

This is a list of the 20 busiest stations in Greater London, excluding those listed above under the London termini.
| Rank | Station | Annual entries/exits (millions) 2020–21 | Annual interchanges (millions) 2020–21 |
| 1 | Stratford | 13.985 | 1.746 |
| 2 | Highbury & Islington | 8.661 | 1.116 |
| 3 | Clapham Junction | 8.371 | 6.824 |
| 4 | Barking | 6.743 | 0.263 |
| 5 | East Croydon | 6.695 | 0.972 |
| 6 | Canada Water | 5.576 | 0.000 |
| 7 | Wimbledon | 4.433 | 0.303 |
| 8 | Whitechapel | 4.142 | 0.000 |
| 9 | West Ham | 4.012 | 0.003 |
| 10 | Romford | 3.133 | 0.223 |
| 11 | Willesden Junction | 2.796 | 0.855 |
| 12 | Richmond | 2.699 | 0.329 |
| 13 | Tottenham Hale | 2.652 | 0.178 |
| 14 | Lewisham | 2.555 | 0.564 |
| 15 | Ilford | 2.536 | 0.010 |
| 16 | Seven Sisters | 2.359 | 0.005 |
| 17 | Denmark Hill | 2.343 | 0.182 |
| 18 | Shepherd's Bush | 2.272 | 0.004 |
| 19 | Dalston Kingsland | 2.130 | 0.000 |
| 20 | Ealing Broadway | 2.066 | 0.007 |

## Stations outside London

This is a list of the 20 busiest stations in Great Britain outside London.
| Rank | Railway Station | Annual entries/exits (millions) 2020–21 | Annual interchanges (millions) 2020–21 |
| 1 | Birmingham New Street | 7.351 | 1.024 |
| 2 | Leeds | 5.854 | 0.545 |
| 3 | Glasgow Central | 5.325 | 0.761 |
| 4 | Manchester Piccadilly | 5.188 | 0.374 |
| 5 | Brighton | 4.149 | 0.367 |
| 6 | Liverpool Central | 3.606 | 0.172 |
| 7 | Liverpool Lime Street | 3.511 | 0.418 |
| 8 | Reading | 2.963 | 0.680 |
| 9 | Edinburgh Waverley | 2.958 | 0.203 |
| 10 | Cambridge | 2.301 | 0.123 |
| 11 | Glasgow Queen Street | 2.299 | 0.267 |
| 12 | Bristol Temple Meads | 2.033 | 0.277 |
| 13 | Cardiff Central | 1.975 | 0.240 |
| 14 | Sheffield | 1.907 | 0.179 |
| 15 | York | 1.837 | 0.116 |
| 16 | Coventry | 1.747 | 0.133 |
| 17 | Chelmsford | 1.717 | 0.011 |
| 18 | Gatwick Airport | 1.686 | 0.319 |
| 19 | Watford Junction | 1.680 | 0.091 |
| 20 | Moorfields | 1.613 | 0.335 |