TEESSIDE Airport Railway Station had just two passengers last year, new figures have revealed.

The train station had two passengers pass through it in the last 12 months compared to 338 in 2019 to 2020.

However, a spokesperson for the airport confirmed, due to the pandemic, the station was closed for around nine months which impacted the number of passengers.

Read more: Teesside Airport: Station unlikely to have more services until 2024

The station was previously dubbed one of the least used railway stations in the country. In 2019 to 2020 it only welcomed one train a week in one direction.

A spokesperson for Teesside International Airport said: “Like airports around the globe over the past year Teesside Airport reduced operations because of restrictions brought into force to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

"Alongside this, as part of emergency Covid-19 timetables implemented in March 2020 by the train operator, the service that provided a stop at the airport was withdrawn for most of the year, which account for this low figure.

"Work is under way to develop a scheme to upgrade the station, and we have seen an increase in passengers choosing to use the Number 12 bus route and the Tees Flex on-demand bus service to get to the airport.”

Six stations in Britain had no passengers in 2020-21, mainly due to services being suspended because of the coronavirus crisis.

They were Abererch, Gwynedd; Beasdale, Highland; Llanbedr, Gwynedd; Sampford Courtenay, Devon; Stanlow and Thornton, Cheshire; and Sugar Loaf and Powys.

Last month, a Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) transport report revealed its unlikely to have any more services until the overhaul at Darlington Station is completed.

The paper stated: “Due to rail capacity constraints it is proving difficult to identify opportunities for service enhancement until after completion of the Darlington Station project in 2024.

“Work is under way to develop a scheme to upgrade the station, which could facilitate a future increase in services.”

Attention has been mainly placed on revamps at Darlington and Middlesbrough Stations in a bid to welcome more services to the region.

Buses run from Darlington station to the airport at the moment.

Across Great Britain, usage of railway stations fell from 3 billion in 2019-20 to 687 million – a fall of 77%.

The busiest station in England – with an estimated 14 million passengers – was Stratford, in London, marking the first time in 17 years that Waterloo was not the most-used.

The figures are based primarily on ticket sales.

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