Transport User Voice May 2023 – Coronation and Eurovision travel

27 April 2023

How are passengers travelling?

With big events and extra bank holidays, the month of May promises to be busy on transport across Great Britain. Both the Coronation and Eurovision will be spectacles for those attending – but how and when are people travelling?

Transport Focus spoke to 4000 people to understand how and when people would use rail, bus and roads over the Coronation (4-6 May) and Eurovision (13-14 May) weekends.

For Coronation weekend it’s estimated that some 14.6 million people will be on the road, with thousands on the railway and buses travelling for leisure, to visit family or friends or indeed to travel to London for the Coronation events. Eurovision weekend is just as busy, with 1 in 10 people asked saying they are travelling to Liverpool.

So, what have passengers told us?

• On each of the two weekends, more than half of those asked plan to stay at home, with around a third still deciding whether to travel somewhere or not.
• For both weekends – of those who are travelling, visiting friends or family is the most common destination, in preference to attending organised events.
• Whatever the destination, around half of those travelling are using a car and a third are using the train.
• For those planning to use rail – a minority have already booked their tickets. Most still plan to book at least a few days in advance – with 12 per cent (Coronation) and five per cent (Eurovision) planning to buy on the day.
• Planned dates of travel are spread over a number of days. People using rail generally plan to travel out in the morning but return plans are spread through the day.
• Google Maps is the most commonly used method for planning journeys and will be used by those travelling around in London.

Transport Focus director David Sidebottom said: “The next few weekends are going to busy no matter which mode of transport you use – and especially in the build up to the Coronation and Eurovision events.

“It’s likely that we’ll see more people travelling to and through London, Windsor and the Liverpool city region. Operators and local authorities in these areas will need robust plans in place to support passengers from across the globe to get to and from events and locations safely.”

For anyone travelling in May – especially over the Coronation and Eurovision weekends – the advice is clear – check before you travel on routes, tickets, and timetables.

We’re pressing operators across all sectors to ensure that they provide good and timely information for travellers, including about any disruption, changes to timetables or extra services during busy times.

 

Back to newsletter