A record number of people used light railway services across the UK in 2012-13, new figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) have shown.

Some 222 million passenger journeys were made over the eight metro systems currently operating in the UK - a nine per cent upturn on the previous year.

Tram networks continue to expand and this was reflected in an 11 per cent rise in vehicle mileage over the 12-month period. This was the best performance since 2004, when the UK's newest light railway system opened in Nottingham.

According to the DfT, improvements to lines in the London Docklands, Blackpool and Manchester were major factors behind this upturn.

Manchester's Metrolink has undergone major work in recent years and Transport for Greater Manchester opened a new line to East Didsbury in the south of the city last month. This was several months ahead of schedule. 

Revenues across the nation's light railway networks also increased in 2012-13, averaging 121 pence per journey.