August Bank Holiday weekend Tube and bus travel highest since the pandemic

August Bank Holiday ridership figures for buses and tubes reached the highest level since the pandemic, Transport for London (TfL) has said.

Bus travel during the long weekend was up almost 10% on the equivalent weekend in 2022, while Tube journeys were also up by about 6%- though both were still slightly below 2019 levels.

TfL said higher passenger numbers were due to big events in the capital that weekend such as the 75th Windrush anniversary at Notting Hill Carnival.

Some 10,774,000 bus journeys were made over this year’s bank holiday weekend, compared with 9,789,000 over the same days last year and 11,167,000 in 2019.

Looking at the Tube, 7,022,000 journeys were made over the three days this year, compared with 6,630,000 last year and 7,224,000 in 2019.

According to TfL data, a number of weekends during the summer saw stations in central London hit pre-pandemic levels, if not exceed them.

Deputy mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, said: "London has been roaring back this summer, with Londoners and tourists from around the world using TfL’s network to explore our capital’s cultural gems.”

The new data comes as TfL encourages people to use its services to make the most of this year’s Open House Festival, which is being held from September 6-17.

The festival, which last year marked its 30th anniversary, will see more than 600 sites open their doors in celebration of London’s homes, architecture and neighbourhoods.

Events hosted as part of this year’s Open House Festival will include:

• ‘Crystal Palace Subway – A Conservation Journey’ on September 15 – a Victorian underpass from 1865, hidden under Crystal Palace Parade.
• Shirley Windmill on September 17 - the only surviving windmill in Croydon, built in 1854.
• ‘From Forest to Morris: A walk around Walthamstow’ on September 8-10 and 15-17 - a walk around historic Walthamstow showing how the area grew from a village into a thriving suburb, its social history and the variety of buildings.
• ‘A House for Artists’ on September 16 - a creative workshop at a project designed to provide affordable, sustainable housing for artists in Barking Town Centre.
• Seven Acre Lake, Canons Park Estate on September 10 – a guided tour of the estate’s private lake, with Canada geese, swans and ducks.