FALLING PASSENGER NUMBERS
I read with interest the letter from John Oliver in your January issue, regarding possible explanations for the reported decline in passenger journeys south of the Thames. In this, he refers to an assumption of about 10 single trips per week in calculating travel from rail ticket sales.
In 2007 I was involved in a study with the then MVA consultancy, in which the rail industry assumption (10.3 trips per week) was tested against data from the National Travel Survey (in which respondents holding period tickets are categorised, and complete a seven-day travel diary, which thus enables an estimate of trips per week to be made).
