As the table below shows, the number of journeys made within West Yorkshire has risen by over 7 million during the 10-year period from 1992/3 to 2002/3 with peak-time growth increasing by 60% over the same period.
On the Airedale/Wharfedale routes, where there has been comprehensive investment in new trains and infrastructure, growth has been at the rate of 19% per year.
And research on three West Yorkshire lines has shown that rail is the clear preference for peak journeys to and from Leeds, with almost 90% of passengers on these journeys choosing the train over an available car.
| Financial year | Journeys within West Yorkshire (in millions) | Cross-boundary journeys (in millions) | Total rail journeys (in millions) |
| 1992/93 | 12.2 | 5.5 | 17.7 |
| 1993/94 | 12.7 | 6.4 | 19.1 |
| 1994/95 | 11.5 | 5.8 | 17.3 |
| 1995/96 | 13.3 | 5.9 | 19.2 |
| 1996/97 | 15.0 | 5.8 | 20.8 |
| 1997/98 | 14.9 | 6.1 | 21.0 |
| 1998/99 | 15.3 | 6.0 | 21.3 |
| 1999/00 | 16.3 | 5.8 | 22.1 |
| 2000/01 | 15.3 | 6.1 | 21.4 |
| 2001/02 | 16.1 | 6.3 | 22.4 |
| 2002/03 | 16.6 | 6.9 | 23.5 |
| 2003/04 | 19.3 | 7.7 | 27.0 |
| 2004/05* | 21.1 | Not yet available | Not yet available |
| 2005/06* | 23.08 | Not yet available | Not yet available |
* Estimated figures.
