- Nearly 70m journeys have been made on the Elizabeth line since its opening in May
- Seven days a week service and direct connections providing additional boost to businesses in run up to Christmas
Six months on from the opening of the Elizabeth line, business groups and small businesses in and around the new stations are hailing its transformative effect. Nearly 70 million journeys have been made on the new railway line since its official launch in May, with half of these made in the central section between Paddington and Woolwich.
Faster connections mean it’s easier and more affordable than ever for Londoners and visitors to make the most of what the capital’s businesses have to offer at a pivotal time as they continue to recover from the pandemic. Businesses and local representatives came together today at the historic Royal Academy to celebrate the huge boost to London that the line has provided in the six months since being opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The latest ridership data shows that the Elizabeth line has been used nearly 70m times since opening, with around 600,000 journeys made on the line each day. The most popular journeys made all involve Tottenham Court Road station, with Stratford, Paddington and Canary Wharf the most popular destinations with people leaving the west end. As a result of that popularity, use of Tottenham Court Road has increased by more than 80 per cent since the Elizabeth line launched. Use of nearby Bond Street station has increased by more than 25 per cent since the Elizabeth line station opened in October.
The final Elizabeth line station, Bond Street, opened a month ago, adding more capacity to the West End and supporting the area’s growth.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Delivering the transformational Elizabeth line has provided a massive boost to London’s businesses this year, crucial after the pandemic. This is helping us to continue building a better London for everyone – a city that is fairer, greener and more prosperous for all.
“Since it opened six months ago, millions have already travelled on the Elizabeth line and it’s already brought a huge range of benefits – encouraging people back on to public transport, helping them to make the most of the capital and supporting businesses right across our city. The benefits of the Elizabeth line expand far beyond London, as its helping to contribute £42bn to the UK economy and support businesses right across the country.”
All 41 Elizabeth line stations are step-free from street to platform from Paddington to Woolwich, and Heathrow is step-free from street to train, bringing more accessible journeys to even more people.
In May 2023, the full peak timetable will be in place. At this point the peak time frequency will increase to 24 trains per hour between Paddington and Whitechapel, with 16 trains per hour off-peak. Direct services from Shenfield to Heathrow Airport will also commence, boosting connections into central London and creating more opportunities for businesses near the stations.