The Elizabeth line has seen a 41 per cent surge in passenger numbers in three months, new figures show, intensifying pressure on London's rail network. The £20bn line carried 62.2 million passengers between October and December, up from 44.1 million in the previous three months, according to data from the Office of Rail and Road.
The line, which opened through central London last May, now accounts for one in six of all UK rail journeys. It has already overtaken individual franchises and is on the verge of surpassing GoVia Thameslink (GTR), which operates four separate networks and carried 62.8 million passengers over the same period. GTR, however, covers far greater distances, with 13 million passenger train kilometres compared with the Elizabeth line's 2.5 million.
Howard Smith, Transport for London's director of the Elizabeth line, said: "The Elizabeth line continues to be transformational for people travelling across London and the South East. The huge numbers of customers using our accessible trains and stations is a real testament to the railway and all those involved in keeping it running." He noted that improved services in November had brought trains directly into central London, with a further expansion planned for May.
Peak-hour services are already close to overcrowding. Trains between Liverpool Street and Abbey Wood were "standing room only" at 6pm, with station staff urging passengers to spread along the 200-metre platforms. Overcrowding between Heathrow and Paddington has also been repeatedly reported, linked to a lack of luggage storage for airport passengers.
Nationally, rail journeys reached 369 million in the last three months of 2022, 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. The London and South East sector recorded 266 million journeys, 85 per cent of the figure three years earlier. The Elizabeth line was the most punctual in the country, with 83.8 per cent of trains arriving on time. Separate Department for Transport figures show passenger numbers have returned to normal in 2023, reaching 100 per cent of pre-pandemic levels for five consecutive days from February 10, and peaking at 103 per cent on February 22.
Peak frequencies on the Elizabeth line, which was more than three years late and about £4bn over budget, are due to increase to 24 trains an hour in central London on May 21. However, there are longer-term fears of even greater overcrowding once the first leg of HS2 opens by 2033, as services will terminate at Old Oak Common rather than Euston, forcing passengers onto the Elizabeth line to reach central London or Heathrow.
