The latest official light rail and tram statistics from the Department for Transport
The latest official statistics from the Department for Transport reveal that light rail and tram systems in England continue to play a vital role, with passenger journeys reaching 231.2 million in the year ending March 2025, a 1% increase compared to the previous year.
Systems outside of London performed strongly, recording a 5.7% increase in passenger journeys and a 4.7% uplift in revenue. West Midlands Metro, Manchester Metrolink and Tyne and Wear Metro were among the strongest performers. While some systems have seen a decline in numbers, due to known factors such as fleet availability and planned maintenance, overall trends remain upward, providing a solid foundation for the sector’s ambitions around modal shift, accessibility and sustainability.
Figures highlight both the resilience and importance of light rail in supporting a more connected transport future.
The latest statistics show:
231.2 million total passenger journeys in England, up 1%
116.2 million journeys outside London, up 6%
22.4 million vehicle miles operated, up 4%
£388.9 million in passenger revenue, up 6%
Concessionary journeys also rose by 2%, with older and disabled passengers making up 13% of all trips. The figures reflect an ongoing recovery in public confidence and ridership.
The national network now covers 220.9 route miles across 418 stops, operated by 537 vehicles. Investment in new fleet and systems is ongoing, with modernisation efforts such as the South Yorkshire Supertram and Tyne and Wear Metro’s fleet transition helping to futureproof key networks.
Regional highlights include Manchester Metrolink, with the largest number of journeys outside London (46 million), West Midlands Metro recording the highest percentage growth since 2019, Nottingham Express Transit reporting a 21.4% increase in passenger revenue.
These encouraging trends reflect the continued importance of light rail in driving modal shift and delivering more sustainable and more connected public transport options for urban areas. "The latest figures are an encouraging sign that the sector is settling into a pattern of steady, reliable growth," says James Hammett, Managing Director of UKTram.
"We're seeing light rail deliver real value to cities and communities, driving modal shift, supporting decarbonisation and helping to shape transport networks that are better integrated and more sustainable for the long term.''
At UKTram, we remain committed to supporting our members and the wider sector through strategic planning, innovation and collaboration. As the industry’s representative body, we welcome the ongoing recovery and the growing public reliance on tram and light rail networks as part of integrated, sustainable travel.
Our strategy focuses on supporting this continued growth through knowledge sharing, best practice, and cross-sector collaboration.
To explore the full dataset, visit the DfT website: