London's Tube ridership has reached a new milestone, with over 4 million journeys made on a single day for the first time since the pandemic began.
The figure of 4.05 million journeys was recorded on Thursday, November 23, 2023, marking a 7.6% increase from the same day last year. This surge in ridership is being attributed to a number of factors, including the return of office workers, the popularity of Christmas shopping, and the ongoing appeal of London's world-class attractions.
"It's fantastic to see London truly roaring back post-pandemic," said Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London. "This impressive boost in ridership will support London's and indeed the whole UK's wider economy recovery."
The increase in ridership is also being supported by the Elizabeth line, which has seen over 270 million journeys since it opened in May 2022. The line, which connects Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, has been a major success, providing a faster and more convenient way for people to travel across the city.
"The Elizabeth line has massively helped to encourage people back onto public transport," said Andy Lord, London's transport commissioner. "We are now seeing ridership numbers reach 4 million a day on the Tube again, and that ridership is growing across our services."
The rise in ridership is putting pressure on Transport for London (TfL) to invest in its infrastructure to meet the growing demand. TfL is seeking confirmation from the government that it will provide the funding needed to support this investment.
"We can't rest on our laurels," said Khan. "In order to further support this boom and deliver the world class transport system London deserves we need sustained capital investment over multiple years with support from central Government."
The government has yet to confirm its funding plans for TfL, but the organization is confident that it will receive the support it needs to continue to provide a reliable and efficient transport service for Londoners.
Lord added: “However, we need the Government to urgently confirm that they will provide the capital investment support we need for 2024/25.
“TfL’s investment in the supply chain supports more than 100,000 jobs across the UK, almost half of which are in small medium enterprises, who are also reliant on TfL’s funding certainty."
Photo Credit: TfL
