The rising price of petrol and diesel appears to have encouraged more people to opt for train travel this year, according to recent figures published by train firms. In the first three months the Association of Train Operating Companies claim passenger numbers increased by 4.8 per cent. For the last financial year, figures have increased by 6.6 per cent.

Petrol prices between December and April rose by 11 per cent. Since April last year they have gone up by 13 per cent. This is compared to a rise in rail fares in January of 6.2 per cent. Forecasting methods used to predict passenger demand for rail travel tend to show that for every five per cent hike in the price of petrol, passenger numbers on trains will increase by one per cent.

The rise in those choosing to take the train rather than the car meant an increase of 4.1 per cent in long distance journeys made in the first quarter compared to a year earlier; a rise of 4.7 per cent in journeys made in the south east and a 5.2 per cent hike in the number of regional journeys.

In the first three months of 2010, 301 million train journeys were made rising to 316 million over the same period this year.

According to an ATOC commissioned MORI poll, one in six people using the train through February and March had done so at least once as an alternative to taking the car. Around half said this was because of the prohibitive cost of petrol.