Bus and Metro use falls in West Midlands as rail passenger numbers rise

The number of passengers using buses and the Midland Metro in the West Midlands has fallen, while rail boardings have increased, according to the latest data.

A report to be presented to the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny Committee shows that bus boardings in Quarter Three (October to December) of 2025/26 totalled 59.99 million. This represents a 5.9% drop compared with 63.74 million in the same period in 2024/25.

Midland Metro usage also dipped slightly, with 2.45 million boardings in Q3 2025/26 – down 1.6% from 2.49 million the previous year.

In contrast, rail usage across the region rose to 67.12 million boardings in 2025/26, a 3.7% increase on the 64.7 million recorded in 2024/25.

The report attributes the fall in bus patronage largely to changes in the national bus fare cap, which saw single fares rise from £2 in December 2024 to £3 from January 2025. The decline has been most noticeable in off-peak travel, where journeys are typically more discretionary.

There has also been a reduction in single ticket sales, which had previously been supported by the lower fare cap. While use of English National Concessionary Travel Scheme passes continues to grow, fare-paying passengers appear more sensitive to price changes.

The report also points to wider factors including reductions in the commercial bus network, as operators respond to rising costs and reduced revenues, and longer journey times due to congestion and disruption. Although overall network performance remained broadly stable – 75.3% in Q3 2024 compared with 76.3% in Q3 2025 – increased journey times have made bus travel less attractive.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is delivering bus priority schemes and working with local highways authorities to improve enforcement and reduce delays.

On the Metro, engineering overruns, signalling faults and emergency repairs affected service delivery during the period.

Meanwhile, rail patronage has benefited from improved service performance, fewer crew-related cancellations, the restoration of Avanti West Coast’s three-trains-per-hour timetable between the West Midlands and London, and a gradual increase in office-based working.