Coastal stations across the United Kingdom have seen a spike in tourist numbers arriving by train over the Summer of 2025. High temperatures and dry weather conditions have been an incentive for people to flock to the beaches.
Rail industry body the Rail Delivery Group has noticed an important increase in rail traffic towards coastal stations in the UK, especially those in the North East, South East, and East Anglia. During the month of June 2025, those areas saw an increase of 25%, 32%, and 18% compared to the same period in 2024.
According to the Rail Delivery Group, most of those travelling towards coastal stations by train tend to live in the same region (47%). Their choice of visiting a nearby coastal town instead of travelling further from home may have been caused by the changing climate conditions, resulting in higher temperatures and relatively dry weather.
According to the Met Office, the United Kingdom’s national weather and climate service, June 2025 has been the warmest on record for England. The average temperature rose to 16.9°C, thereby breaking the previous record, dating back to 2023 (16.7°C). For the United Kingdom, the average temperature was 15.2°C, thus coming in second record-wise behind 15.8°C in 2023.
“This summer made history as one of the hottest UK summers on record. Now, our analysis shows that changing temperatures are also changing how people travel. For the first time, summer getaways to the coast directly correspond to Met Office patterns for both temperature spikes and areas with the driest conditions”, said Jacqueline Starr, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group.
🌡️ The UK has had its warmest summer on record, according to provisional Met Office statistics.
— Met Office (@metoffice) September 1, 2025
The UK’s mean temp of 16.10°C surpasses the previous record of 15.76°C and pushes the summer of 1976 out of the top 5 warmest summers.
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Another month, another record?
While data for August 2025 isn’t yet available, Starr continued to say that August usually makes up the bulk of visitors throughout the year. Many stations show a large spike in passenger numbers during August, and if the June trend is confirmed, August 2025 should beat August 2024 as far as visitor numbers are concerned.
The Rail Delivery Group data also showed that the most popular days for visiting coastal stations are Friday to Monday. This suggests that many Brits are opting to spend their (long) weekends at the sea or are choosing to make day trips to the coast in order to enjoy the weather.
“On the train you can take time for yourself or connect with loved ones. Whether it’s a seaside escape, exploring somewhere new, or visiting family, every trip is more than a journey; it’s a chance to support local high streets, independent businesses and further drive economic growth across the country”, Jacqueline Starr continued.
According to the Rail Delivery Group, travelling by train isn’t just better for the climate, it also hugely contributes towards the local economy. The rail industry body said that this summer, families travelling by rail are likely to have contributed an estimated £678 million to the area they depart from. At £916 million spent, their impact at their destination should be even greater, thereby driving microeconomics throughout the UK.
