TfL Elizabeth line marks 350 million journeys as it celebrates two-year anniversary

The Elizabeth line has seen more than 350 million journeys since it opened two years ago, making it the fastest growing railway in the UK, Transport for London (TfL) has said.

The £20bn line, which connects Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east to Reading and Heathrow in the west, first opened on May 24 2022.

During its first full year of operation, the Elizabeth line saw more than 150 million passenger journeys. In 2023/24, this number dramatically increased to 210 million journeys.

On average, there are around 700,000 passenger journeys on the line every weekday, with the busiest day recorded on April 18 2024 when there were 787,000 journeys across the line. The busiest station is Tottenham Court Road, followed by Liverpool Street.

In addition, passenger demand is already above post-pandemic expectations, and TfL expects passenger journeys to increase by another 8% over the next year, reaching 226 million.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan says the Elizabeth line has been a “game changer” for London with the new line delivering a £42bn boost to the UK economy.

“In just two years, more than 350 million journeys have been made and the line has directly impacted the development of 55,000 new homes and significantly supported employment growth,” said Mr Khan.

“The Elizabeth line has played a vital role in our recovery from the pandemic and is helping to build a fairer, greener and more prosperous London for everyone."

Despite its popularity the Elizabeth line has also suffered more than 100 days of delays, service reductions or closures, some lasting for several days at a time, since the start of last year, to the particular frustration of passengers using the line west of Paddington.

TfL blames these on HS2 works at Old Oak Common, signalling and computer software upgrades and track maintenance.

To date, the highest demand growth on the line has been between Reading and Hayes & Harlington, which has seen an 80% increase in demand on TfL services, while demand to Heathrow terminals has increased by 64%, since through-running services were introduced in November 2022. 

Howard Smith, TfL’s Director of the Elizabeth line, said: "The Elizabeth line has rightly and quickly become one of the most popular railways in the country. It has also been one of the most reliable, and earlier this year we achieved our best quarterly performance so far. 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 importance of the railway investment and to all those involved in keeping it running."