Reading station has been named the third most-used in the South East.

The Office for Rail and Road has released statistics showing Reading station welcomed 13.5 million entries and exits between April 2023 and March 2024.

This puts it behind Gatwick Airport and Brighton, which saw 19.5 million and 14.5 million passengers respectively.

Other busy stations in the region included Oxford with 6.8 million, Woking with 6 million, and Guildford with 5.9 million passengers.

In contrast, Doleham station in East Sussex was the least used in the South East, with just 1,038 entries and exits.

Finstock, Ascott-under-Wychwood, and Combe (Oxon) were also among the least frequented, with 1,112, 1,392, and 1,554 passengers respectively.

Nationally, London Liverpool Street station retained its title as Britain’s most-used railway station for 2023-24, with a staggering 94.5 million entries and exits.

London Paddington came in second with 66.9 million.

The newly opened Elizabeth line continues to drive massive increases in station usage, with Tottenham Court Road station leaping four places to third, amassing almost 30 million more entries and exits than the previous year.

London St Pancras dropped out of the top 10, while Bond Street made a notable entry, climbing from 19th to ninth place.

London Paddington retained its second-place spot, adding an additional 6 million entries and exits.

Outside of London, Birmingham New Street was the busiest station with 33.3 million entries and exits.

Manchester Piccadilly and Leeds followed with 25.8 million and 24.9 million respectively.

In Scotland, Glasgow Central topped the list with 25 million, while in Wales, Cardiff Central was the busiest with 11.5 million.

Feras Alshaker, Director of Planning and Performance at the Office of Rail and Road, commented on the significance of these statistics.

He said: "These statistics provide crucial insights for passengers, the rail industry and its stakeholders and demonstrate clearly how travel patterns are changing across the country.

"Alongside our rail usage statistics they show that since the pandemic rail usage continues to increase and that the investment put into the Elizabeth line is fundamentally reshaping passenger journeys into and around London."

The least used station in Britain was Denton in Greater Manchester, with just 54 entries and exits.

The Office of Rail and Road’s statistics offer a window into changing travel patterns post-pandemic, showing a resurgence in rail travel and a shift in passenger journeys, particularly in and around London.

The full report, titled Estimates of Station Usage, can be accessed on the Office of Rail and Road's data portal, offering a detailed breakdown of how Britain’s railways have been used over the past year.