For all the faults, privatisation led to passengers returning to the railways
Annual passenger journeys on Great Britain’s railway network, 1945 to 2025
Privatisation
in 1995
Nationalisation
in 1948
Renationalisation
to finish in 2027
2bn
1.5bn
1bn
0.5bn
0
1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015
2025
Privatisation
in 1995
Nationalisation
in 1948
Renationalisation
to finish in 2027
2bn
Passenger numbers
dwindled decade after
decade under British Rail...
1.5bn
...then began to recover under privatisation...
1bn
...before falling off a cliff during the Covid pandemic
0.5bn
0
1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015
2025
Privatisation
in 1995
Nationalisation
in 1948
Renationalisation
to finish in 2027
2bn
...then climbed under privatisation...
1.5bn
Passenger numbers
dwindled decade after
decade under British Rail...
1bn
...before falling off a cliff during the Covid pandemic
0.5bn
0
1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015
2025
Privatisation
in 1995
Nationalisation
in 1948
Renationalisation
to finish in 2027
2bn
...then climbed when
franchises were privatised
in the 1990s...
1.5bn
Passenger numbers
dwindled decade after
decade under British Rail...
1bn
...before falling off a cliff during the Covid pandemic
0.5bn
0
1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015
2025
Privatisation
in 1995
Nationalisation
in 1948
Renationalisation
to finish in 2027
2bn
...then climbed when
franchises were privatised
in the 1990s...
1.5bn
Passenger numbers
dwindled decade after
decade under British Rail...
1bn
...before falling off a cliff
during the Covid pandemic
0.5bn
0
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
Privatisation
in 1995
Nationalisation
in 1948
Renationalisation
to finish in 2027
2bn
1.5bn
1bn
0.5bn
0
1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015
2025
Privatisation
in 1995
Nationalisation
in 1948
Renationalisation
to finish in 2027
2bn
Passenger numbers
dwindled decade after
decade under British Rail...
1.5bn
...then began to recover under privatisation...
1bn
...before falling off a cliff during the Covid pandemic
0.5bn
0
1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015
2025
Privatisation
in 1995
Nationalisation
in 1948
Renationalisation
to finish in 2027
2bn
...then climbed under privatisation...
1.5bn
Passenger numbers
dwindled decade after
decade under British Rail...
1bn
...before falling off a cliff during the Covid pandemic
0.5bn
0
1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015
2025
Privatisation
in 1995
Nationalisation
in 1948
Renationalisation
to finish in 2027
2bn
...then climbed when
franchises were privatised
in the 1990s...
1.5bn
Passenger numbers
dwindled decade after
decade under British Rail...
1bn
...before falling off a cliff during the Covid pandemic
0.5bn
0
1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
2005
2015
2025
Privatisation
in 1995
Nationalisation
in 1948
Renationalisation
to finish in 2027
2bn
...then climbed when
franchises were privatised
in the 1990s...
1.5bn
Passenger numbers
dwindled decade after
decade under British Rail...
1bn
...before falling off a cliff
during the Covid pandemic
0.5bn
0
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030