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Shanklin Tops Isle Of Wight As Most-Used Station — New ORR Data Reveals Island’s Rail Trends

  • Writer: Dominic Kureen
    Dominic Kureen
  • 10 minutes ago
  • 2 min read
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New data published this week by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) shows how busy rail travel has been across the Island Line — giving insight into which stations locals and visitors use the most.


Station ranking across the Island


Between April 2024 and March 2025, entries and exits at key Isle of Wight stations tallied as follows:

  • Shanklin station — 146,234

  • Ryde Esplanade station — 130,196

  • Ryde Pier Head station — 129,184

  • Sandown station — 89,918

  • Ryde St Johns Road station — 53,256

  • Lake station — 19,744

  • Brading station — 17,080

  • Smallbrook Junction station — 8,978


These figures confirm Shanklin station remains the busiest station on the Island — followed closely by Ryde Esplanade and Ryde Pier Head.


What it tells us


The numbers reflect growing demand on the 8.5-mile Island Line — which serves Ryde, Smallbrook Junction, Brading, Sandown, Lake and Shanklin.


Although rail usage across Great Britain is increasingly dominated by major urban lines — particularly following the success of the Elizabeth line in London — thanks to ORR’s latest nationwide usage report, we can now see the picture for the Isle of Wight more clearly.


Local rail supporters will be pleased to see that even after recent closures and maintenance work (including major repairs to historic Ryde Pier, completed earlier this year) the Island Line appears to be keeping up steady passenger numbers.


Why it matters


For many residents and holidaymakers, the Island Line is more than just a transport link — it is a lifeline connecting coastal towns, facilitating tourism, and enabling sustainable transport across the Island.


That Shanklin remains the busiest station underlines its importance as a gateway to the south-eastern coast of the Island.


As the Island looks ahead to further transport improvements — including the return of full services and ongoing upgrades — these figures give a snapshot of where demand is strongest, and where future investment could be targeted.

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