Elizabeth Line?

 
Thanks John D.

One really striking feature of the figures (apart from the change in the list of stations in 2017) is how many passengers arrive in Reading. From 2017 (when it first appears) to the pandemic, it is third behind Birmingham (first) and Manchester (second) in the number of arrivals, but after the pandemic it overtook Manchester and even has more arrivals at peak times than Birmingham in 2025.

Was the completion of the final phase of the current Manchester tram system in 2020 partly responsible?

 

 
New figures just released (haven't read them all yet)

But have spotted in section 5.3 that Bristol has highest PiXC (passengers in excess of capacity)

Rather proves Bristol rail in peaks is struggling, and so far this year not really done anything about transferring in extra stock

section 4.2 says peak passenger numbers at Paddington grew 6% in a year, 7% increase in off peak in a year

Section 5.4 has the busiest services (into cities when surveyed, so could excludes things like Portsmouth-Cardiff when 2coach set is used), South West trains has 4 of 10.   The third busiest nationally is a Bridgend to Rhymney train !

Section 6 says 13% of long distance services are in excess of capacity

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rail-passenger-numbers-and-crowding-on-weekdays-in-major-cities-in-england-and-wales-2025/rail-passenger-numbers-and-crowding-on-weekdays-in-major-cities-in-england-and-wales-2025