A decline in rail passenger journeys has been arrested despite May’s catastrophic timetable overhaul.

Between April and June passenger journeys across Britain’s rail network totalled 428.9m. This was slightly higher, by 1m, than the first three months of 2018.

It was 3.1pc higher than the same three months to June 2017, up 13m year on year, according to figures released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

The recovery in passenger numbers came as a relief to rail companies amid rising concerns that Britons are shunning train travel. The previous quarterly report, published in June, revealed that passenger numbers had fallen for the first time in nine years.

Meanwhile, total rail fares collected rose sharply during the quarter, which “suggests that people are switching away from season tickets”, the ORR said.

May’s rail timetable overhaul - billed as the biggest-ever - was widely criticised. Hundreds of services across multiple networks were cancelled, causing outrage among rail users. With the Government, track owner Network Rail and train companies pointed the finger at each other, a withering review by regulators last month concluded “no-one took charge”.