(2) what estimate he made of the number of passengers who travelled by train between York and (a) London, (b) Leeds and (c) Scotland in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.
The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
Statistics on individual station usage, journey and revenue information by three sectors of operators, “Long Distance”, “London and South East”, and “Regional” can be found in “National Rail Trends”, published by the Office of Rail Regulation on a quarterly basis, at
http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529
The following table shows the number of passenger trains operating between York and (a) London, (b) Leeds and (c) Scotland each day in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the current rail timetable. The figures include open access and franchised passenger trains.
Day June 1996 March 10 Difference June 1996 March 10 King's Cross - York Mon-Fri 27 34 7 27 35 8 Sat 25 31 6 24 31 7 Sun 19 25 6 19 29 10 York- Edinburgh Mon-Fri 21 33 12 21 33 12 Sat 22 36 14 22 36 14 Sun 17 32 15 18 32 14 York - Leeds Mon-Fri 73 85 12 73 81 8 Sat 74 83 9 71 83 12 Sun 53 67 14 55 68 13 Total 331 426 +95 330 428 +98