While holidaymakers scramble to board planes amid cancellations and chaos at the UK’s airports, rail passengers are enjoying far more relaxing journeys. Rising Covid-19 infection rates have contributed to staff shortages causing flight cancellations and delays getting through baggage checks.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, a total of 1,143 UK flights were cancelled last week, and there looks to be no sign of a let-up to the chaos - especially as Brits race to get away on what for many will be their first holiday abroad since before the start of the pandemic two years ago. But away from the airports, families who choose to take a domestic holiday or day trip by train, or even by bus or car, are likely to have a far more relaxing journey.
The latest Department for Transport figures show during the first weekend in April, rail passenger numbers remained around 30% below what they were before the pandemic. In fact, even on the busiest day for rail travel so far this year - Friday, March 18 - passenger numbers were still 20% below what they were on the equivalent date before the pandemic.
It means there are likely to be empty seats on many trains - meaning passengers who do decide to take a trip by rail are more likely to be able to relax and enjoy their journey. And as angry airline passengers queue up at information desks or go home to write lengthy emails complaining of delays and missed flights, a relatively small number of complaints have been received by rail companies.
According to the Office of Rail and Road, there were 90,144 complaints closed by train operators between October and December, the latest data available. That works out to just around 32 complaints for every 100,000 journeys.
And while complaints are three times higher than they were during the same period of the previous year, that reflects the increase in passengers since Covid-19 restrictions have been relaxed. Between October and December 2020, passenger numbers were between 63% and 75% below what they were before the pandemic. During the same quarter of last year rail passenger numbers had partially recovered, but were still between 30% and 40% lower than the pre-pandemic days.
Meanwhile, Department for Transport figures also shows that bus passenger numbers remain low. Provisional figures for April show passenger numbers have varied at between 29% and 13% lower than they were before the pandemic.
The data also shows that while there are now more HGVs and delivery vans on the roads than there were before the pandemic, there are consistently fewer cars. Throughout March there were normally around 10% fewer cars on the roads but between 3% and 26% more lorries and vans. The Department for Transport data shows that those not willing to endure the stresses of an overcrowded airport are probably better off holidaying in the UK.
