Highland passenger numbers on railway on Far North and Kyle of Lochalsh lines still well down on pre-pandemic levels, figures by Office of Rail and Road (ORR) reveal

RAIL passenger numbers in the far north are still substantially lower than where they were prior to the Covid-19 pandemic – despite a major bounce since the height of lockdown.

Figures have been released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) covering passenger numbers for every station in the UK for the financial year from 2021-22.

They reveal that – regardless of whether stations were large or small – they almost all posted a massive bounce in passenger numbers when compared to the Covid-hit previous year.

And while a near universal jump in passenger numbers in the past year has been described as "heartening", the ORR warned that there is still "some way to go" before the figures return to where they once were – with even the country's busiest stations still well down on their pre-pandemic heights.

Glasgow Central (Scotland's busiest), recorded 15.3 million entries and exits between April 2021 and March 2022 – up from 5.3 million on the previous year, but still considerably short of the 32.5 million between April 2019 and March 2020.

That sort of trend has been repeated in the north, with Inverness welcoming 753,228 passengers in 2021-22 – well up from the previous total of 231,894, but still down 38 per cent from the figure of 1.21 million prior to the pandemic.

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Feras Alshaker, director of planning and performance at the Office of Rail and Road, said: “It is heartening to see passengers return to travelling by rail following what was a difficult period for the industry during the pandemic. There’s still some way to go in order for station usage figures to return to pre-pandemic levels.

“Once again it is important to thank all those in the rail industry, who continue to work hard to help people travel safely and with confidence.”

On the Kyle of Lochalsh and Far North Lines, only one station posted passenger number figures for the 2021-22 financial year which were higher than before the pandemic struck – Achanalt, which recorded a five per cent rise from 2019-20 after welcoming 342 passengers in 2021-22. This was up from 326 before the coronavirus and just 26 in the pandemic-hit 2020-21 fiscal year.

But the picture was less rosy elsewhere, with many stations still posting figures around a third lower, or more, than before the pandemic.

And, in some cases, figures are still up to 77 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels (Forsinard).

Even some of the far north's busier commuter stations continue to be harder hit, with Alness down 42 per cent, Conon Bridge down 49 per cent, Dingwall down 42 per cent, and Invergordon down 52 per cent on where they were before the coronavirus struck. Beauly's figure is down 35 per cent from prior to the pandemic.

In Caithness, passenger numbers in Thurso and Wick are still down 37 per cent and 22 per cent on their pre-pandemic levels.

Full alphabetical breakdown of station passenger numbers on the Kyle and Far North Lines:

• Achanalt - 342 passengers (2021-22); 26 passengers (2020-21); 326 passengers (2019-20); up 5% from pre-pandemic.
• Achnasheen - 2,420 (2021-22); 620 (2020-21); 3,234 (2019-20); down 25% from pre-pandemic.
• Achnashellach - 650 (2021-22); 130 (2020-21); 836 (2019-20); down 22% from pre-pandemic.
• Alness - 15,810 (2021-22); 3,220 (2020-21); 27,050 (2019-20); down 42% from pre-pandemic.
• Altnabreac - 230 (2021-22); 46 (2020-21); 232 (2019-20); down 1% from pre-pandemic.
• Ardgay - 3,968 (2021-22); 624 (2020-21); 6,409 (2019-20); down 38% from pre-pandemic.
• Attadale - 764 (2021-22); 62 (2020-21); 1,228 (2019-20): down 38% from pre-pandemic.
• Beauly - 30,178 (2021-2022); 14,918 (2020-21); 46,510 (2019-20); down 35% from pre-pandemic.
• Brora - 4,722 (2021-22); 648 (2020-21); 6,354 (2019-20); down 26% from pre-pandemic.
• Conon Bridge - 9,212 (2021-22); 2,598 (2020-21); 18,022 (2019-20): down 49% from pre-pandemic.
• Culrain - 164 (2021-22); 42 (2020-21); 312 (2019-20); down 47% from pre-pandemic.
• Dingwall - 46,524 (2021-22); 9,864 (2020-21); 80,154 (2019-20): down 42% from pre-pandemic.
• Duirinish - 554 (2021-22); 156 (2020-21); 878 (2019-20): down 37% from pre-pandemic.
• Duncraig - 376 (2021-22); 30 (2020-21); 500 (2019-20); down 25% from pre-pandemic.
• Dunrobin Castle - 770 (2021-22); 114 (2020-21); 1,240 (2019-20); down 38% from pre-pandemic.
• Fearn - 2,980 (2021-22); 850 (2020-21); 4,182 (2019-20); down 29% from pre-pandemic.
• Forsinard - 660 (2021-22); 160 (2020-21); 2,866 (2019-20); down -77% from pre-pandemic.
• Garve - 2,560 (2021-22); 426 (2020-21); 3,480 (2019-20); down 26% from pre-pandemic.
• Georgemas Junction - 1,032 (2021-22); 234 (2020-21); 1,570 (2019-20); down 34% from pre-pandemic.
• Golspie - 4,536 (2021-22); 576 (2020-21); 5,586 (2019-20); 19% from pre-pandemic.
• Helmsdale - 3,168 (2021-22); 564 (2020-21); 5,086 (2019-20); down 38% from pre-pandemic.
• Invergordon - 13,308 (2021-22); 3,134 (2020-21); 27,826 (2019-20); down 52% from pre-pandemic.
• Inverness - 753,228 (2021-22); 231,894 (2020-21); 1,214,648 (2019-20); down 38% from pre-pandemic.
• Invershin - 210 (2021-22); 50 (2020-21); 216 (2019-20); down 3% from pre-pandemic.
• Kildonan - 140 (2021-22); 16 (2020-21); 214 (2019-20); down 35% from pre-pandemic.
• Kinbrace - 370 (2021-22); 44 (2020-21); 456 (2019-20); down 19% from pre-pandemic.
• Kyle of Lochalsh - 40,702 (2021-22); 7,858 (2020-21); 67,786 (2019-20); down 30% from pre-pandemic.
• Lairg - 2,960 (2021-22); 742 (2020-21); 6,264 (2019-20); down 53% from pre-pandemic.
• Lochluichart - 130 (2021-22); 24 (2020-21); 198 (2019-20); down 34% from pre-pandemic.
• Muir of Ord - 41,230 (2021-22); 13,556 (2020-21); 70,850 (2019-20); down 42% from pre-pandemic.
• Plockton - 9,476 (2021-22); 1,784 (2020-21): 11,616 (2019-20); down 18% from pre-pandemic.
• Rogart - 992 (2021-22); 150 (2020-21); 1,656 (2019-20); down 40% from pre-pandemic.
• Scotscalder - 116 (2021-22); 18 (2020-21); 232 (2019-20); down 50% from pre-pandemic.
• Strathcarron - 5,370 (2021-22); 1,192 (2020-21); 7,224 (2019-20); down 26% from pre-pandemic.
• Stromeferry - 918 (2021-22); 136 (2020-21); 1,508 (2019-20); down 39% from pre-pandemic.
• Tain - 19,664 (2021-22); 3,522 (2020-21); 28,036 (2019-20); down 30% from pre-pandemic.
• Thurso - 25,200 (2021-22); 6,474 (2020-21); 39,702 (2019-20); down 37% from pre-pandemic.
• Wick - 12,980 (2021-22); 3,442 (2020-21); 16,664 (2019-20); down 22% from pre-pandemic.

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